Uber's offenses:

Passenger assaults
March 2013	A driver in Washington DC is arrested for allegedly raping a 20-year old passenger, though no charges were pressed. An Uber representative issued a statement saying the company had severed its relationship with the driver after the allegation was made.
March 2014	A passenger in Chicago sues her driver for sexual assault, alleging that he locked the car doors and groped her legs, breasts and groin before eventually letting her out. When reached by PandoDaily, Uber confirmed the incident and said “Immediately upon hearing from this rider, we deactivated the driver account involved, as we do for any complaint of this nature. The safety of riders and drivers comes first and we will work with law enforcement in every way we can to help any investigative efforts.” The company did not specifically mention the lawsuit.
March 2014	A Daily Beast journalist shares an experience of harassment by an Uber driver: “At the end of the ride, the Uber driver asked me if I had been near Lincoln Center a few hours earlier. I said I hadn’t, since I didn’t remember walking past there. Then he took out his iPad. ‘Really?’ he asked. ‘Because you look like this girl.’ He turned the iPad around to face the back seat. To my surprise, I saw a full-length, close-up picture of me, wearing the workout clothes, I’d had on an hour previously.” Uber responded to the review of the trip that the journalist made to say it was sorry to hear about the uncomfortable situation and that the information had been given to its driver operations team who would deal with the driver immediately. The company added $20 in credit to their Uber account. The driver’s account was deactivated. The journalist’s article also reveals flaws in Uber’s privacy system, including the fact that drivers can see passengers’ full names.
April 2014	Uber adds a $1 “safe ride fee” which prompts questions as to why Uber is charging its passengers extra not to get assaulted.
June 2014	An Uber driver is charged with misdemeanour battery for an incident in November 2013 where he struck and elbowed a passenger following a dispute. The driver had previous charges on his record and so should not have passed Uber’s background checks. After the incident, Uber said they suspended the driver “as a precaution” but stressed that police at the scene determined “no action was necessary.” The driver was deactivated from the Uber system in December 2013. Uber said they “will defer to the criminal justice system to take matters from here. This driver had a clean background check from Hirease.”
June 2014	An Uber driver is arrested for allegedly kidnapping a woman in West Hollywood with the intent to sexually assault her. After passing out drunk in the car, the woman reportedly wakes up in a motel to find the driver in the bed with her. Uber said in a statement that it had suspended the driver’s account and vowed to work closely with authorities in their ongoing investigation of the incident. They added that “the facts are unknown at this stage and it’s certainly unclear that this is an Uber-related incident, as the driver in question was not logged in, connected to or operating on the platform at the time.”
September 2014	A driver in San Francisco hits a passenger on the head with a hammer after an argument. It is reported that the passenger may lose his eye as a result of his injuries. In an email, Uber said: “This was a deplorable incident and we wish [the passenger] a quick recovery. Uber’s insurance provider is in contact with representatives of both the rider and driver, and of course we will continue to cooperate with authorities throughout the investigation.” According to reports, the receipt that Uber had emailed the passenger for the ride included a $1 “safety fee” surcharge.
September 2014	An Uber driver in Orlando reportedly fondles a passenger and tells police she was ‘asking for it’. Uber releases a statement that says, in part, “Rider safety is Uber’s No.1 priority. We take reports like this seriously and are treating the matter with utmost urgency and care.” The driver’s account is suspended while officials investigate.
October 2014	A passenger in Los Angeles alleges her driver brought her to an empty lot in the middle of the night, locked her in the car, and only agreed to leave when she began screaming and causing commotion. When the passenger contacted Uber about the incident, the automated response apologised for the ‘inefficient route’.
October 2014	Uber reportedly offers a woman £20 credit after she reports being sexually harassed during a journey in London in March 2014.
October 2014	An Uber driver in San Francisco allegedly pulls a female passenger out of his car before smashing her iPhone as she tried to record the incident. Uber said in a statement, “It’s Uber’s policy to immediately suspend a driver’s account following any serious allegations, which we have done. We have also been in contact with the rider and will assist authorities in any investigation.”
November 2014	A woman from New York suffering from cancer, reportedly received abusive texts and voicemails from her Uber driver after cancelling the taxi ride home from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where she was receiving radiation treatment. Uber reportedly offered her $30 credit in compensation.
November 2014	A customer in Chicago alleges she was sexually assaulted by an Uber driver. After being attacked during the ride, she claims she blacked out and woke up later in an apartment with the driver on top of her. Uber calls the incident “appalling and unacceptable” and says that it is “ready to assist (police) however we can to hold the perpetrator accountable.”
December 2014	In New Delhi, an Uber driver is arrested for allegedly raping a passenger. The driver was accused of driving the passenger to a secluded spot and sexually assaulting her. The company reportedly failed to carry out any background checks on the driver. The driver had also disabled his GPS services that let Uber track drivers. In a statement on its website, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick says: “What happened over the weekend in New Delhi is horrific. Our entire team’s hearts go out to the victim of this despicable crime. We will do everything, I repeat, everything to help bring this perpetrator to justice and to support the victim and her family in her recovery. We will work with the government to establish clear background checks currently absent in their commercial transportation licensing programs. We will also partner closely with the groups who are leading the way on women’s safety here in New Delhi and around the country and invest in technology advances to help make New Delhi a safer city for women.” The woman sues Uber in January 2015 accusing the company of failing to maintain “basic standards” for hiring drivers. In April, Uber asks the court in California to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the case cannot be brought in the US as the plaintiff had sued the wrong party. Uber explained that the car had been ordered using a service operated by its Netherlands-based overseas operation, Uber BHV, which was not party to the lawsuit. In February 2015, Uber introduces two new features, available as part of an in-app update, aimed at enhancing safety for passengers in India. They allow users to share details of their rides with up to five contacts (“Send Status” feature) and to call the police using a new SOS button in case of an emergency.
December 2014	An Uber driver is charged in Boston for allegedly kidnapping, choking and raping a passenger. Uber said “This is a despicable crime and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim during her recovery. Uber has been working closely with law enforcement and will continue to do everything we can to assist their investigation.” The company also pledged to improve its safety programmes. Uber’s head of global safety said: “We have more work to do, and we will do it. Uber is committed to developing new technology tools that improve safety, strengthen and increase the number of cities and countries where background checks are conducted and improve communication with local officials and law enforcement.”
January 2015	An Uber driver is charged with sexually assaulting a customer in Chicago. Authorities report that the driver sexually attacked the man and choked him until he nearly blacked out. Uber says: “Our thoughts are with the victim of this horrible incident. We immediately removed the driver from our platform upon learning of the allegations and have been assisting authorities with the investigation.”
January 2015	An Uber driver kills a pedestrian and seriously injures another pedestrian in Manhattan. The driver is sued over the accident over claims that the app Uber drivers use to respond to hails causes driver distraction in violation of New York State law. Uber declined comment on the lawsuit.
January 2015	An Uber driver allegedly sexually assaults a teenager in Melbourne. A spokesperson from Uber said the driver was “deactivated” as soon as the allegations were made.
February 2015	An Uber driver in Boston is arrested after allegedly indecently assaulting a female passenger. An Uber spokeswoman said that the company had been helping the Boston Police Department during the investigation and that the driver had been removed from service pending the results of the investigation.
February 2015	A young woman is allegedly left on the side of a motorway in east London in the early hours of the morning following a dispute over a journey. Uber said “The safety of our customers is Uber’s top priority. We are always sorry to hear of any customer’s bad experience and we reached out promptly to deal with this complaint.”
February 2015	A man in D.C. is suing Uber for $2 million in federal court after claiming a driver stabbed him. The driver was reportedly acting “erratically” when the man and his friends got into the car, so they got out of the vehicle and walked away. The driver allegedly followed them and then stabbed the man at least six times. The driver was charged with assault but a judge dismissed the case “for want of prosecution.” The man originally sued in D.C. Superior Court in 2014, but Uber moved the case to federal court in February 2015. The company has not responded publicly.
February 2015	A woman alleges that she was raped by an Uber driver in Philadelphia. Uber claims that it only learned of the incident after Philly mag called for comment on the story in March.
March 2015	An Uber driver is accused of picking up a Denver women, driving her to the airport and then coming back to burgle her home. An Uber spokesperson responded by saying the company "takes rider safety very seriously and upon learning about this incident, we reached out to the rider. We immediately removed the driver's access to the Uber platform, pending an investigation. We continue to be in contact with the rider and will assist the authorities in whatever way we can."
March 2015	After a female student enters what she trusted to be an Uber taxi in New Haven, two men picked up en route attempt to sexually assault her. An Uber representative stated there were no reports from riders about an incident and that they had not been contacted by the authorities.
April 2015	A female student at the University of Michigan informs police that an Uber driver demanded money or a sex act when she tried getting out of the vehicle.
April 2015	In Houston, an Uber driver with a criminal record is charged with sexually assaulting a passenger. The alleged attack took place in January 205. In April, the city of Houston says it is considering punitive measures against Uber as the driver was not permitted by the city, as required by city ordinance. Uber said that the driver had passed its background checks and was allowed to drive for them.
Criminal activity by drivers
March 2015	An Uber driver in New Jersey is arrested for allegedly doctoring license plates and registrations.
April 2015	An Uber driver is caught stealing $5000 worth of jewellery from a Jewish couple, who took a ride with him in Brooklyn, New York. The driver was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. Uber suspended the driver and will decide on firing him at a later date.
Attacks on Uber drivers
April 2015	An Uber driver says she was attacked by a group of riders in Van Nuys. Two women in her car began beating her in the head, neck and shoulders with their cell phones and fists. They pulled her hair and dragged her into the street. According to the driver, Uber has done nothing to help her.
April 2015	A former Uber driver in the US who was stabbed in the face by a passenger has filed a class-action lawsuit against Uber, alleging the company inappropriately classifies its drivers as independent contractors. The former driver also alleges he is owed workers’ compensation.
Accident liability
December 2013	Uber driver hits a family in a crosswalk in San Francisco, killing the 6-year-old daughter. The girl’s family sues Uber in January 2014, asserting that the app runs afoul of Californian distracted driving laws and kicking off a debate over whether Uber is liable in such cases. The family also sued the driver. Uber denied responsibility, arguing the driver was not providing services for the company at the time of the accident. The driver was charged with misdemeanour vehicular manslaughter in December 2014.
Passenger safety
	Dozens of passengers complain on social media about their Uber driver being drunk. For those who filed complaints to Uber, the company offered a refund and a $25 credit toward future rides. Uber also stated that an investigation would be opened up to confirm any accusations and the driver would be reprimanded accordingly.
Competitors
January 2014	Documents leaked to journalists show that Uber employees in New York ordered and cancelled rides from competitor Gett in order to sabotage its business.
August 2014	CNN Money reports that Uber employees ordered and cancelled more than 5,000 Lyft rides in an attempt to sabotage the company. A separate report from Verge details the company’s extensive sabotage strategy, which includes attempts to poach Lyft drivers through a nationwide campaign called SLOG.
Privacy questions
2012	Uber boasts in a blog post (later removed) that it had tracked the rides of users who went somewhere other than home on a Friday or Sunday night and left from the same address the next morning. It identifies these “rides of glory” as potential one-night stands.
November 2014	At an off-the-record dinner, Uber executive Emil Michael makes comments suggesting he thinks Uber should hire a team of opposition researchers to dig up dirt on journalists who criticise the company. The company responds by saying “We have not, do not and will not investigate journalists.” Michael offers an apology.
November 2014	Uber that it is investigating a top executive in New York for tracking a reporter using “God View” without the reporter’s permission
November 2014	Some Uber drivers express concern that customers are able to call their cellphones long after the ride is over, despite a system of dummy numbers meant to avoid giving away such personal information.
November 2014	A cybersecurity firm reportedly discovers that Uber’s android app may be sending users’ private data back to the company (including the users’ entire SMSLog, call history, Wi-Fi connections used, GPS locations and every type of device ID possible). The app is reported to even check a user’s neighbour’s Wi-Fi and send back info on the router’s capacbilities, frequency and SSID.
February 2015	Some of Uber’s female drivers complain that male passengers are using Uber’s ‘Lost-And-Found’ feature (which connects riders directly to drivers when they believe they have left behind their belongings) to harass them.
March 2015	The personal information of about 50,000 Uber drivers is reportedly breached. Uber announced that it had discovered a bug in its systems in September 2014 that allowed unauthorised access to some drivers’ names and licence numbers.
March 2015	Reports suggest that hackers may have hit Uber and stolen user account details. Allegedly, “thousands” of Uber passenger accounts were being sold on the deep web. Uber denies the reports.
April 2015	A London record-producer claims he has been billed for £3,000 worth of Uber rides he didn’t take as a result of somebody hacking his account. Uber denied there had been a breach but promised to refund the money. The case follows multiple reports of people alleging their Uber accounts have been hacked.
Discrimination
September 2014	The National Federation of the Blind files a lawsuit against Uber in California, accusing the company of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act after a number of incidents of drivers refusing to drive blind passengers with service dogs. In one incident, the dog is reportedly put in the trunk. Uber initially filed to have the case dismissed, but in April 2015, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that the civil lawsuit should proceed.
October 2014	Uber Lyon starts a promotion offering to pair passengers with “hot chick” drivers. The Uber blog post reads “Who said women don’t know how to driver?”
December 2014	Uber is reported to be lobbying to change proposed legislation designed to increase the number of wheel-chair accessible taxicabs in Washington as the bill could ‘place excessive regulatory burdens on private vehicle-for-hire companies’.
January 2015	A gay couple claim they were kicked out of an Uber taxi in London for kissing and cuddling each other.
Misleading drivers
November 2014	A report emerges claiming that Uber is pushing drivers with bad credit into sketchy subprime loan agreements.
December 2014	Information emerges that Uber advises drivers to buy personal auto insurance (rather than commercial insurance) that leaves them uncovered and in some cases leads them to incorrectly register their cars in violation of the law.
April 2015	Drivers report of high-interest car loans provided through a vehicle financing programme created by Uber for drivers with poor or non-existent credit. One driver reports that his 48-month loan is costing him $1,000 a month and has a 22.75% interest rate.
Ignoring laws
October 2014	Uber indicates that it will pay the fines of Perth (Australia) drivers penalised for using its app to pick up passengers. The company has also reportedly paid the fines issued to drivers in Sydney and Victoria.
November 2014	Uber Miami is accused of coaching drivers to circumvent airport laws. Uber has also covered the fees incurred by their drivers in Miami-Dade county.
December 2014	Uber sends a memo to its drivers in Spain telling them to continue as normal and it will pay the cost of any appeals if they are fined for operating in the country, adding that a court ruling to shut down the service had “no legal basis”.
January 2015	Uber offers free rides, and later paid rides after Edmonton city council passes a motion for Uber to voluntarily stop operating in the city until it complies with vehicle-for-hire bylaws or until council changes current regulations. In response, the city files an injunction against Uber.
February 2015	Uber cuts the fares for its UberPop service in the Netherlands by 15%. The service has been banned in the Dutch courts, however, the company refuses to back down and continues to offer the service, despite it and several drivers being fined.
February 2015	Uber allegedly shuts down accounts and apps of Palm Beach officials to avoid enforcement of citations. Reports suggest that the same has happened in the past to officials in Miami and Orlando, as well as in Australia.
Tax questions
October 2014	The Services Tax Department in India sends a tax enquiry to Uber.
October 2014	London’s taxi and minicab regulator Transport for London (TfL) refers Uber’s tax affairs to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The move followed a complaint from a senior Labour MP that Uber was “opting our of the UK tax regime”.
January 2015	An alliance of more than 20,000 taxi and minicab drivers call for the UK government to crack down on Uber’s “unfair” tax practices, threatening to adopt similar “avoidance arrangements” unless something is done. The company is accused of gaining an “unfair competitive advantage” by processing London jobs through its Dutch subsidiary, thereby allowing it to pay a lower rate of VAT on the commission it takes from fares.
Surge Pricing (“Price Gouging”)
	Passengers regularly vent their frustrations on social media over being ripped off as a result of Uber’s “dynamic pricing” system.
2012	Uber is accused of price gouging during Hurricane Sandy.
December 2013	During a New York snowstorm, some Uber rides cost 8.25 times the standard price.
December 2014	Despite the company’s promise not to use surge pricing during storms and other disasters, Uber runs a 3.8x surcharge when a heavy storm hits San Francisco.
December 2014	Uber receives widespread criticism after it increases fares by up to four times the normal rate during the hostage crisis in Sydney.
December 2014	Uber increases its rates on New Year’s Eve. Customers are upset by the hefty fares caused by the company’s “dynamic pricing” – as much as $350 for just a few miles.
January 2015	Uber caps its surge-pricing during a blizzard in New York City to 2.8 times the normal rate. The cap is in accordance with an agreement made in 2014 with New York’s attorney general after Uber was accused of price gouging during Hurricane Sandy.
Investors
October 2014	Uber takes money from the Qatar Investment Authority; a country which the global labour movement condemns as a sweatshop state that brutally disregards the rights of migrant workers (http://www.ituc-csi.org/qatar?lang=en).
Union busting
August 2013	Responding to possible strike action by BART metro system workers in San Francisco, Uber partners with Boatbound to offer commuters a “Boat to Work” option.
June 2014	Uber offers a 50% fare discount on fare split rides in Philadelphia during a SEPTA regional rail transit strike.
December 2014	Uber offers a 50% discount on shared rides during the Belgium general strike.