Uber said it wanted to ‘weaponize facts’

Uber has tried to hire researchers to dig up dirt on the taxi industry and “weaponize facts,” according to an internal recruiting document obtained and reported on by BuzzFeed News.

The document calls for a six-month research plan that includes a portion on investigating competitors in the taxi industry, using the political shorthand “oppo” for opposition research.

{mosads}“Your mission is to identify and weaponize the facts about those incumbents, the truth about Uber and to do it one step ahead of the rest,” the company said in the document seeking a director of research and rapid response.

Buzzfeed said the document was leaked by a person who has been disturbed by reports of the company’s business practices.

In a statement Thursday evening, Uber spokeswoman Kristin Carvell said that the company’s focus “is on producing research that helps communicate the Uber story — how we serve riders, drivers and cities — and that makes the facts clear about the taxi opposition.”

“Many organizations, corporations and campaigns have hired for a role of this nature and continue to do so — including the taxi industry, which has research and rapid response going in overdrive,” Carvell added. 

The newest disclosure comes on the heels of controversial practices at Uber that included the existence of a “God View” that could track every user’s car and was reportedly used for entertainment at parties.

Unlike a top executive’s reported suggestion that the company hire researchers to target critical journalists — which was also reported by BuzzFeed this week — the newly disclosed memo only mentioned attacking the taxi industry.

The style of the new document is consistent with the ride company’s rhetoric about running a quasi-political campaign against the cab industry.

Earlier this year, the company brought on David Plouffe, President Obama’s former campaign manager, to run a “political campaign” against “the Big Taxi cartel.” 

Other controversial business practices at Uber have included plots to order and then cancel competitors’ rides and continuing to operate even when forbidden by local regulations.

This story was updated at 7:11 p.m.