Uber Employees Stalked Beyoncé And Other Celebs Using Accessed Data

Are Uber drivers just born nosey?

Recent reports regarding the online transportation company's employees might lead you to believe so.

On Monday, five former Uber employees spoke to Reveal News from the Center for Investigative Reporting to reveal that other Uber employees have been accessing sensitive data to stalk celebrities and people close to them.

Among the celebrities mentioned was Beyoncé, whose trip information was allegedly accessed for no good reason. Can you blame them?! It's Beyoncé!

All jokes aside, though... NOT COOL, Uber. Other targets included the ex-lovers of the Uber employees.

Former Uber forensic investigator Ward Spangenberg told the publication,

Uber's lack of security regarding its customer data was resulting in Uber employees being able to track high profile politicians, celebrities and even personal acquaintances of Uber employees, including ex-boyfriends/girlfriends and ex-spouses.

"Lack of security" at Uber might be an understatement, surprisingly.

Michael Sierchio, a former senior security engineer at Uber, went on to explain the company's massive security flaws, saying,

When I was at the company, you could stalk an ex or look up anyone's ride with the flimsiest of justifications. It didn't require anyone's approval.

While Uber employees' obsession with tracking Beyoncé and their exes might seem alarming, a much bigger red flag was raised back in 2014 when an Uber official reportedly used a tracking tool to locate a reporter.

The company then released a statement denying the ease of access to sensitive customer data:

It's absolutely untrue that 'all' or 'nearly all' employees have access to customer data, with or without approval. We have built [an] entire system to implement technical and administrative controls to limit access to customer data to employees who require it to perform their jobs. This could include multiple steps of approval—by managers and the legal team—to ensure there is a legitimate business case for providing access.

Right. Well, you guys have one job...

Just drive (and leave Beyoncé the fuck alone).

Citations: Uber Employees Used Data to Stalk Celebrities, Exes (Complex)