One Hell of a Controversy: Secret Uber Program Exploited Lyft to Hog Double Drivers

By now, we are all aware of Greyball, Uber’s secret program used to deceive authorities in cities where the company was not legally welcome to operate.

Turns out that Greyball was not Uber’s only secret program.

Another one—dubbed “Hell”—allegedly spied on Lyft, the company’s primary rival, to identify drivers who worked for both ride-hailing services, according to a report from The Information.

Hell has not been in operation since 2016, The Information says, but is no less another mark of controversy for a company absolutely spotted with them. Once it identified double-drivers, the program artificially ensured those workers had an abundance of Uber rides, giving them no time—or need—to drive for Lyft. This sly approach was executed to success in newly launched cities where driver overlap was high.

The program was so controversial and so internal that only a select few executives were made aware. Managers were informed of the data, but never the means by which it was obtained, according to The Information.

Uber has also been caught manipulating drivers in other ways.

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