In the wake of a BuzzFeed News report that Uber SVP Emil Michael suggested hiring opposition researchers to find and publish personal information on journalists covering the company, some users have begun to delete their Uber profiles. But the company isn't letting them go easily.
One San Francisco Uber user, Brian Brophy, tried to cancel his account Tuesday evening, citing the company's "disturbing" business practices. In response, an Uber community manager vehemently defended the company in an attempt to retain Brophy as a user.
"We have not, do not, and will not investigate journalists. Those remarks do not reflect the views of the company and have no basis in the reality of our approach. Our executive has apologized for his comments," the community manager replied.
Guardian columnist Jessica Valenti noticed and tweeted a similar statement from an Uber community operations manager when she tried to cancel her New York account yesterday afternoon:
Apparently I am not the only one canceling their Uber account today
In order to completely delete an Uber profile, as well as payment and location data, users must submit a written request through the support section of the company's website. Users must provide account information, location, and a short reason for deleting the account. In most instances, requests are approved quickly. Now, however, it seems that, in the wake of new privacy concerns, the company is asking users to take a moment to reconsider.