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Former Lyft Driver Sues Uber For Allegedly Spying On Him Through ‘Hell’ Software

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Eric Lieberman Managing Editor
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A former driver for Lyft is suing Uber for violating his privacy rights, after it was allegedly revealed that Uber spies on Lyft.

Uber’s original software program “Hell” allegedly created fake Lyft accounts to allow high-level employees to see its competitors’ pricing, as well as which drivers were working for both companies (also known as double-dipping). The plaintiff in the case is filing the litigation as a class action lawsuit. He claims that by spying, Uber blatantly disobeyed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), as well as the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).

The legal complaint specifically alleges defendants violated the law “by intentionally, collecting, gathering, intercepting … Plaintiff’s and Class Members’ electronic communications.”

The title of “Hell” is likely a converse reference to another once-secret feature called “God View” (also known as “Heaven”), which reportedly allowed employees to follow customers in real time without their consent. These are just two of the three invasive spy programs Uber has been accused of creating and using.

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly threatened to remove Uber from its App Store when he found out the company tracked customers’ even after they deleted the app.

Uber vehemently denied the accusations, telling The Daily Caller News Foundation that it only wants to “recognize known bad actors when they try to get back onto” the network. (RELATED: Uber Showcases Its Diversity Report By Calling Certain Kinds Of Employees ‘Jewbers’)

The latest lawsuit is just another apparent setback (or annoyance) for the tech company as it has suffered many embarrassments and missteps in recent months.

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