Dear ICIJ reader,
One of the great strengths of ICIJ’s cross-border collaborative model is our ability to tell local stories within their global context, and expose the true scope of worldwide systemic failures.
Our latest investigation, the Uber Files, is the perfect example.
The ride-hailing behemoth from San Francisco had already been heavily scrutinized in the media – and by authorities – for its forceful tactics during the company’s early expansion years.
But when more than 100,000 internal messages, memos and other confidential files were leaked to The Guardian and shared with ICIJ, we could see, in Uber executives’ own words, exactly how the company developed and deployed an aggressive playbook that it used time and again, from country to country, often in defiance of local laws and regulations.
In other words, we had the receipts.
What we wanted to do was show that Uber’s questionable behavior wasn’t a series of one-offs. It was part of a deliberate, global strategy.
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So we brought together a team of more than 180 journalists from dozens of media outlets around the world, who all worked together to uncover the breadth of Uber’s orchestrated campaign in its fight for global dominance. Here’s just a sample of their reporting:
- In Israel, Uber executives forged a friendly relationship with then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the company clashed with local officials, ICIJ partner Shomrim reported;
- In Ireland, ICIJ’s partner The Irish Times revealed that Uber claimed to have written part of a manifesto published by then-Prime Minister Enda Kenny supporting Uber’s sharing economy model;
- In France, Le Monde reported on Uber’s extensive relationship with then-Finance Minister Emmanuel Macron, who had a direct line to the company’s chief executive Travis Kalanick.
- In Germany, Uber attempted to woo major publishing company Axel Springer (which owns one of the country’s top tabloid newspapers) with strategic investment deals, and also funded a report by a renowned economics that advocated for reform of transportation regulations;
- In Canada, India, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania and France, Uber used a so-called “kill switch” to cut access to company servers when authorities raided local offices;
- In South Africa, Uber attracted drivers by offering bonuses and incentives and then cutting them back, knowingly creating working conditions that put drivers at risk;
- And more, much more.
In response to these stories, Uber said it had made mistakes and missteps in its early years, but had turned things around from 2017 under the leadership of a new CEO.
But what the Uber Files shows is not just the actions of one company — by working together, our team of journalist collaborators was able to offer an X-ray view into how multinational companies game the system. It is yet another example of an ICIJ investigation that shows how money and power can buy access not available to the rest of us.
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Time and time again, ICIJ’s revolutionary investigations like the Uber Files have revealed broken systems, widespread corruption and devastating injustice and inequality. And as the impact of our stories grows, we are reminded why it was so important we knuckle down and keep investigating.
This work continues, in large part, thanks to our community of supporters like you. Put simply, we couldn’t do any of this without you.
Thank you for considering a donation to help keep our investigations bold and independent. Together, we continue to tell more stories that truly rock the world.
With gratitude,
Gerard Ryle
ICIJ's Director
P.S. ICIJ exists because of you — our journalism is costly and risky. Your gift to ICIJ allows our team to act quickly as needs arise and more stories must be told.
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