Uber Files: unutarnji dokumenti o globalnom širenju platforme

The Uber Files were published in July 2022 after The Guardian shared more than 124,000 leaked records with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and media partners in several countries. The documents covered Uber’s international expansion, particularly between 2013 and 2017, and included emails, messages, presentations, calendars and other internal material.

The investigation examined how Uber sought to enter markets despite resistance from regulators, courts and established transport industries. The reporting focused on documented internal communications and contemporaneous records rather than treating every allegation or interpretation as an established fact.

What the leaked records documented

According to the reporting, Uber executives and advisers developed political and public-affairs strategies to support the company’s expansion. These included meetings with political leaders, approaches to regulators, lobbying efforts and attempts to present the platform as an innovative alternative to traditional taxi services.

The records also showed that Uber was aware of legal and regulatory risks in a number of countries. Internal discussions described efforts to manage inspections, court proceedings and possible enforcement action. In some situations, employees discussed using a technical measure known as a “kill switch” to restrict access to company systems during police or regulatory searches. The existence and use of the measure were reported from internal documents and should be understood in that specific context.

Political access and regulatory pressure

The investigation reported contacts between Uber representatives and prominent political figures. One case concerned Emmanuel Macron, who was France’s economy minister during part of Uber’s expansion there. The leaked communications described meetings and exchanges involving Uber and Macron’s office while the company was facing opposition from taxi groups and questions about its legal status.

The documents also referred to former European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes. The reporting examined her contacts with Uber and the restrictions that applied to her after leaving public office. The records raised questions about access, lobbying and the enforcement of cooling-off rules. They did not, by themselves, establish that every contact breached the law.

In other countries, the files described attempts to obtain political support or to influence public debate during disputes over licensing and regulation. The central issue was not simply whether Uber met local rules, but how the company sought to change the political environment in which those rules were made and enforced.

Relations with drivers and public authorities

The leaked material also concerned the company’s relationship with drivers and its response to protests, strikes and legal challenges. The reporting described internal strategies for communicating with drivers, responding to opposition and maintaining operations during periods of regulatory uncertainty.

Some records discussed incidents in which drivers faced police action or violence during protests. These accounts were part of a broader examination of the risks associated with Uber’s rapid expansion. Individual incidents require separate verification, and the documents should not be treated as proof of facts that were not independently established by the reporting.

Uber’s response

Uber acknowledged that the files reflected a period when the company was managed differently. The company said that the conduct described in the investigation did not match its current values and pointed to changes in leadership, compliance practices and relations with governments.

Mark MacGann, a former senior Uber lobbyist, identified himself as the source who provided the files to The Guardian. He said he came forward because he believed the company had misled the public and regulators about its business practices. Uber disputed some characterisations in the reporting and said the records covered events from a previous period of the company’s history.

Why the investigation matters

The Uber Files offer a detailed case study of how a technology company attempted to expand across borders while laws and public institutions were still responding to its business model. They also illustrate the importance of examining private communications alongside official statements, court records and public policy documents.

For readers in Croatia and elsewhere in the European Union, the investigation raises broader questions about transparency in lobbying, the relationship between public officials and private companies, the status of platform workers, and the ability of regulators to enforce rules against rapidly expanding international businesses.

The available records do not justify conclusions beyond what was documented and independently reported. They provide evidence about particular decisions, conversations and strategies during a defined period; they are not, on their own, a complete account of Uber’s activities in every country or of every person mentioned in the files.

Sources and editorial basis

• The Guardian, the original media organisation that received and published reporting based on the leaked records.
• The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which coordinated the international investigation with partner news organisations.
• Uber’s public response to the Uber Files reporting.

This article summarises the published investigation and the responses attributed to the relevant parties. It does not make allegations beyond the cited reporting and distinguishes documented communications from conclusions that would require additional evidence.