Uber lobbyist Mark MacGann identifies himself as whistleblower; says 'company sold lies'

A 52-year-old lobbyist of Uber's team Mark MacGann came forward to identify himself as the whistleblower who leaked over 1,24,000 confidential documents to The Guardian, saying that it was about time to speak about "some fundamental wrongs" the firm was committing. Speaking to the publication, MacGann admitted that the American mobility service provider was "knowingly flouting laws" in a dozen of countries. The former chief lobbyist who led the company to win governments across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa acknowledged that he was the source behind the massive “Uber Files” leak consisting of thousands of documents and messages between top executives.

MacGann stated that he was "partly responsible" for the way Uber misled people regarding the benefits to the driver and the overall economy of a country. "I was the one talking to governments, I was the one pushing this with the media. I was the one telling people that they should change rules because drivers were going to benefit and people were going to get so much economic opportunity," he told The Guardian. MacGann was the career lobbyist in Uber between 2014 and 2016 and reportedly helped the company to spearhead through markets by violating taxi-licensing laws. 

"When that (business being economically fruitful for people & government) turned out not to be the case - we had actually sold people a lie. How can you have a clear conscience if you don't stand up and own your contributions to how people are being treated today?" MacGann questioned, adding that he was responsible for persuading governments in some 40 countries on behalf of Uber that the business was mutually beneficial.

MacGann's personal journey with Uber included his contribution to the company penetrating the highest echelons of power in European countries like France, Germany, UK, also he marketed with the Russian Federation. During his wide-ranging discussion with The Guardian, he described the time as "intoxicating" but "deeply unfair" and "anti-democratic." He said, "I regret being a part of the group of people which massaged facts to earn the trust of drivers, political elites, and consumers." Responding to why he exposed the company long after his association ended in 2016, MacGann said, "It is my duty to speak up and help governments and parliamentarians right some fundamental wrongs. Morally, I had no choice in the matter." MacGann recently settled with the company in a dispute relating to his pay, The Guardian noted.

What are Uber Files leaks?

Uber Leaks refers to the trove of cache that MacGann handed over to The Guardian, claiming that the company breached government laws in the name of expansion strategies. About 1,24,000 documents triggered a global investigation into the mobility service provider's "ethically questionable practices." The files reportedly revealed that the start-up transpired into a global behemoth after going to extraordinary lengths to evade existing taxi regulation laws or bending them to accommodate for organisational benefit.

For the unversed, Uber was launched in 2010 with headquarters in San Francisco. By 2013 it was operating in more than 30 locations in the US. In response to McGann's exposing the company's misdeeds, senior vice president of public affairs of Uber, Jill Hazelbaker, said: "We have not and will not make excuses for past behaviour that is clearly not in line with our present values. Instead, we ask the public to judge us by what we’ve done over the last five years and what we will do in the years to come," the Guardian quoted.

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