The Uber Files: A Massive Leak Reveals how Top Politicians Secretly Assisted Uber

Thousands of leaked documents revealed how Uber courted top politicians and how far it went to avoid prosecution. They go into detail about the extensive assistance Uber received from leaders such as Emmanuel Macron and former EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes. They also show how the former boss of the taxi company personally ordered the use of a "kill switch" to prevent raiding police from accessing computers.

Uber claims that its "past behaviour was inconsistent with current values" and that it is now a "different company." The Uber Files contain over 124,000 records spanning 2013 to 2017, including 83,000 emails and 1,000 other files involving conversations.

They were shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and a number of media organizations, including BBC Panorama, after being leaked to the Guardian. They reveal, for the first time, how a $90 million-a-year lobbying and public relations campaign enlisted the help of friendly politicians in its campaign to disrupt Europe's taxi industry.

While French taxi drivers staged sometimes violent protests against Uber on the streets, Mr. Macron - now president - was on first name terms with Uber's controversial CEO Travis Kalanick, telling him he would reform laws to benefit the company. Uber's ruthless business practises were well known, but the files provide a unique inside look at the lengths it went to achieve its goals.