
City of Portland Concludes Investigation into Uber’s Use of Greyball - us0r
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/saltzman/article/655540
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cowpig
How does this fit into the bigger picture? Is there any punitive action?

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harrisi
From the audit[0]:

> Based on this analysis, PBOT has found that when Uber illegally entered the
> Portland market in December 2014, the company tagged 17 individual rider
> accounts, 16 of which have been identified as government officials using its
> Greyball software tool. Uber used Greyball software to intentionally evade
> PBOT’s officers from December 5 to December 19, 2014 and deny 29 separate
> ride requests by PBOT enforcement officers. On December 21, 2014 Uber ceased
> operations in the City of Portland. Uber received a permit to operate in the
> City of Portland during an initiated Pilot Period beginning April 24, 2015.
> Uber has provided documentation which shows the Greyball tags were removed
> on April 24, 2015. After April 2015, PBOT did not find any evidence
> suggesting that either Uber or Lyft attempted to use a software tool to
> evade PBOT’s officials in their efforts to protect TNC consumers or to deny
> consumers rides based on their location.

So I believe the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) considers the
temporary shutdown in 2014/2015 was enough. They do state, however:

> it is important to note that finding no evidence of the use of Greyball or
> similar software tools after April 2015 does not prove definitively that
> such tools were not used. It is inherently difficult to prove a negative.

So they're taking it somewhat seriously.

[0]:
[https://www.portlandoregon.gov/saltzman/article/638525](https://www.portlandoregon.gov/saltzman/article/638525)

