Introduction
Unethical behavior in the use of technology is becoming more popular with the rise of digitalization. One such example is the scandal with the Uber taxi aggregator, which occurred in 2017 but has not yet been unambiguously resolved. Accusations of espionage and data theft by the company cast a serious shadow on its reputation. From a biblical point of view, any theft and action for selfish interests cannot be ethically approved.
Summary of the Article
The New York Times reveals details of the 2017 Uber scandal. The taxi aggregator had a special department that collected information (Conger, 2021). The personnel of this division informed the company’s management about the actions of competitors and former disgruntled employees. The tight-knit team’s secrecy came to an abrupt end in 2017 when one of its members attacked the others, accusing them of stealing trade secrets, wiretapping, and destroying evidence (Conger, 2021). According to Richard Jacobs, undercover agents flouted the law, wiretapped phone calls, stole competitor data, and even hacked into foreign governments (Conger, 2021). Jacobs subsequently retracted his claims, but Uber’s reputation was already irreparably damaged (Conger, 2021). Amid accusations of covering up a massive data breach, the public easily believed that Uber was capable of breaking the law. The ethical problem uncovered in the article lies in the fact that Uber used employees to improperly obtain information about competitors and their customers in order to capture the market.
Ethical Problem Analysis
While the former Uber employee retracted his claims, there are strong reasons to believe that some of them were true. The taxi aggregator’s misguided actions are alluded to in a policy study of the company, blaming an aggressive market conquest practice as violating moral and ethical standards (Brown & Peterson, 2022). Against the backdrop of the massive scandal of 2017, a movement has emerged calling for the removal of the Uber mobile app and not use its services. A study of this movement highlights repeated, proven allegations that Uber cares little about its customer data (Pendergraft, 2021). Given the evidence available, it is easy to believe that a corporation may have used unethical information practices to secure a competitive advantage.
Data theft is the illegal transfer or storage of personal, confidential and financial information: passwords, program codes and algorithms, as well as copyright processes and technologies. Data theft is considered a serious breach of security and privacy, with potentially adverse consequences for both individuals and organizations. The consequences of a data breach for organizations can be serious. There may be legal action by clients whose information has been disclosed. Affected companies will incur the cost of repairing, patching, or updating compromised systems. Using stolen data to secure a competitive advantage is a flagrant violation of the law and ethical standards.
Misuse of data is a serious problem in today’s society. Uber allegedly used spying and stealing data from competitors to eliminate them when competing for international markets (Conger, 2021). Such behavior in business is unacceptable and punishable. However, Uber avoids responsibility by shifting it to its former employees. The refusal to take responsibility for their own mistakes, as in the case of data breaches, is the hallmark of this corporation. Nevertheless, despite the wave of protests, the company’s services continue to be used around the world. This trend is driven by Uber providing a strong monopolistic advantage that smaller local services cannot compete with. Increasing attention to the problem of misuse of data is possible only through public condemnation; however, not every society has the opportunity for such a fight.
Biblical Worldview
While the Bible does not provide clear guidance on how to judge data breaches, valuable moral and ethical guidance can be gleaned from the sacred text, the data theft that Uber is accused of is still theft. One of the commandments clearly states, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). Theft cannot be justified if it is done out of selfish motives. Considering that Uber used illegally collected data to eliminate competitors, the Biblical view of this wrongdoing will remain unequivocally condemning.
People can also learn important points about how to work properly from the Bible. Scripture teaches: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). The Bible teaches people to work honestly and with the knowledge that God is always looking at the workers and their labors. It is worth doing the job honestly and responsibly, even if other people do not find out about the violations, because God still sees all human transgressions. The activities of the corporation are definitely a violation of this postulate since the principles of honest work were not observed.
Conclusion
Uber was suspected of improperly collecting and using the data of its competitors on reasonable grounds. Previous accusations of covering up customer data leaks have ruined the taxi aggregator’s reputation. There is a strong reason to believe that many of the allegations were true and that the company acted unethically to secure a competitive advantage. The sacred text can be used to evaluate and interpret events even in a technological era, since it is a guide that is relevant for all times. The Biblical view makes it clear that such behavior is unacceptable, antimoral and unethical.
References
Berean Standard Bible. Ephesians 4:17–32. Web.
Berean Standard Bible. The Ten Commandments. Web.
Brown, G., & Peterson, R. S. (2022). The distended board: Uber. In Disaster in the Boardroom (pp. 113-124). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Conger, K. (2021). Uber survived the spying scandal. Some careers didn’t. The New York Times. Web.
Pendergraft, G., (2021). Should We #deleteUber? SAGE Publications.