Uber secret system can remotely shut down the devices to obstruct the police

In May 2015, 10 investigators from the Revenue Agency of Quebec in Canada raided Uber’s Montreal office. The Quebec Revenue Agency believes Uber violated tax laws and held a search warrant for the collection of evidence.

Informed sources said the presence of Uber manager “unruffled.” Like Uber’s managers in hundreds of offices overseas, they have been trained to know that they need to send a number to warn Uber San Francisco headquarters specially trained staff. When the news was received, Uber staff in San Francisco headquarters quickly and quickly canceled every computer in the Montreal office, leaving the Quebec tax office with almost impossible access to company computer records. In the end, the investigators did not collect any evidence and can only leave.

Image: pcmag

Reported that Uber’s ability to remotely lock the device is not limited to the computer. The team at Uber headquarters responsible for the Ripley system can also remotely change passwords and other information, lock down data on the company’s smartphones, laptops, and desktops, and shut down devices.

Uber said the Ripley system – named after a character in an “Alien” movie that can launch a self-destructing program – is designed to protect user data. “As with every company with offices around the world, we have set up security procedures to protect business and user data and when the government conducts investigations, our policy is to cooperate with all legitimate searches and data requests,” Uber said.

However, some employees believe the system will delay judicial investigations. One scholar said the use of Ripley may hinder the administration of justice. Uber allegedly also considered developing a system called uLocker that uses a fake login interface to trick law enforcement officers.

A year after hiding a security breach affecting 57 million users, former Uber Global Intelligence Manager accused him of carrying out illegal activities such as wiretapping and bribery. Currently, Uber disputes with the London Transport Agency, who believe Uber poses a threat to safety and security.

Reference: Bloomberg