The Uber Whistleblower: Achieving Transparency in Big Tech
The Guardian broke a story earlier this month about the underhand behaviour of Uber, which, in its aggressive global expansion, often broke national laws, surreptitiously lobbied governments and deliberately put its drivers in harm’s way. The only reason this information saw the light of day was because of Mark MacGann, former Uber lobbyist who leaked over 124,000 company files charting Uber’s wrongdoing. His efforts follow the work of other whistleblowers who have endured much hardship to expose the malpractice of tech giants like Facebook, Apple and Uber itself. With the practices of these companies often notoriously opaque to the wider public, the role of the whistleblower in holding them accountable is as vital as ever.
However, what is clear from MacGann is that Uber did not reside over “a culture where you could actually stand up and question the company’s decisions or the company’s strategy”. It is clear to see why this is the case. As texts and emails leaked reveal, accountability for Uber’s crimes went all the way to the top of the organisation. Such a strict hierarchy discourages internal dissent and open debate, pointing to the need for an independent body receptive to workers’ concerns. WhistleblowersUK have been campaigning for an Office of the Whistleblower, which would act as an external body properly equipped to receive, investigate, and punish reports of illegal activity within these corporations. Only when this has been implemented will workers not feel so beholden to the unreasonable company lines prescribed by their bosses.
At WhistleblowersUK, we believe personal accountability is the cornerstone of ethical and prudent professional conduct. But the Uber saga has shown that the status quo is insufficient to achieve this goal. The CEO during MacGann’s tenure, Travis Kalanick, has denied engaging in or being privy to any illegal activities, whilst Uber has dismissed such conduct as purely actions of the past and suggested MacGann’s account is distorted due to his private legal action against the company. But when the allegations are this serious, resting on this ‘he said, she said’ narrative is unacceptable. There must be a thorough and independent enquiry into these claims and an attempt to repair Uber’s culture of silence. The Office of the Whistleblower is committed to encouraging speaking up against malfeasance and subsequently investigating and penalising those responsible. Individuals should not be allowed to hide behind corporations. If they do, workers will lose any incentive to speak up in the name of justice.
By his own admission, MacGann is far from innocent. But his efforts to inform the public should be treated seriously, as should the harm he has suffered. Like so many other whistleblowers, MacGann’s mental health has been adversely affected. He has been diagnosed with PTSD due to the trauma experience whilst an Uber lobbyist. How many more workers will have to undergo similar harm before enough is enough? WhistleblowersUK’s goal is a safety net for all workers. Only once each and every individual is protected from organisational bullying and, if necessary, compensated for any detriment caused, will this safety net be secured.
- Alfie Rowe, WhistleblowersUK Team
