Report: Uber facing federal investigation into secret program that tracked Lyft drivers

Uber is facing a federal law enforcement investigation into whether it illegally used a software program to sabotage competitors like Lyft, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reported that the FBI and the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office are leading the investigation into Uber’s use of a secret program that involved using fake Lyft accounts to interfere with that company’s operations. The program was reportedly in use from 2014 to 2016.

The program, dubbed “Hell,” was first revealed by the technology news outlet The Information in April.

{mosads}Uber is also facing investigations into its use of another software program designed to evade federal regulators and whether the company engaged in bribery in foreign countries.

The three probes add to the baggage inherited by new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who was brought in to replace Travis Kalanick after he was pushed out amid a series of scandals at the ride-hailing company.

Uber also recently settled charges with the Federal Trade Commission that it had made deceptive claims about its privacy and data security practices.