Mark MacGann, who led Uber's lobbying in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, comes forward as the leaker of 124K+ files, says Uber flouted laws and sold a lie
The Guardian
Context & Ripple Effects
The disclosure follows the prior publication of a trove of more than 124,000 internal Uber documents covering the company’s 2013–2017 expansion. MacGann’s decision to identify himself attaches a senior former lobbying executive to the material and to the allegation that Uber’s public case diverged from its conduct.
The leak lands against earlier reporting on Uber’s governance failures, including its disclosure of a major rider and driver data breach and allegations of misuse of the company’s “God View” tool. The connected record makes the lobbying files part of a broader accountability narrative rather than an isolated disclosure.
First-order effects
MacGann becomes publicly accountable for the leak and allegations, while Uber must answer claims from the executive who led its lobbying across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
The named source strengthens the provenance of the already published documents for reporters, regulators, and other parties assessing Uber’s conduct during its expansion.
Second-order effects
Uber’s prior privacy, security, and competitive-intelligence controversies receive renewed scrutiny alongside the lobbying disclosures, raising the reputational cost of treating each episode as separate.
Government bodies and litigants examining Uber gain a publicly identified former executive whose role directly connects him to the company’s external-policy strategy.
Third-order effects
If senior insiders continue to identify themselves behind large document leaks, platform companies’ lobbying operations become more exposed to accountability based on internal records rather than public messaging.
The episode points to governance risk concentrating at the intersection of rapid market expansion and regulatory engagement, where former executives can later substantiate claims about how growth was pursued.
The trend: Major platform companies are facing more durable oversight as internal records and former senior employees connect aggressive expansion strategies to specific operational practices.
The source of the #Uberfiles has come forward to explain why he leaked 124,000 documents to the Guardian. He is Mark MacGann, formerly Uber's chief lobbyist in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Here's his exclusive interview with us. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
The whistleblower objectively made the world worse by spearheading lobbying efforts to entrench Uber globally. No idea what he can do to make amends for it but this massive leak is a good first step. Maybe it will help lull regulators from their slumber https://www.theguardian.co…
“I regret being part of a group of people which massaged the facts to earn the trust of drivers, of consumers and of political elites ... It is my duty to [now] speak up and help governments and parliamentarians right some fundamental wrongs.” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
“When (claims that drivers were going to benefit) 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 contribution to how people are being treated today?” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
It's the second day of #UberFiles revelations as ICIJ, @guardian, and more than 40 global media partners blow the lid on the covert business strategies of one of the biggest and most influential tech startups of our time. 🧵 A recap of today's bombshells: https://www.icij.org/... …
“Uber paid academics six-figure sums for research to feed to the media” Thank goodness this is limited to taxi firms and doesn't extend into other industries, such as pharmaceuticals, UPFs, or ‘green’ energy, for instance. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
“A leaked trove of confidential files has revealed the inside story of how the tech giant Uber flouted laws...” The Guardian leads a group of 180+ journalists at 40 media properies including Le Monde, Washington Post, and the BBC. All will do Uber stories. https://www.theguardian…
Many drivers would say this is still true today 👇 “Uber incentivized more drivers to sign up than were necessary, shrank driver earnings and built a system that rewarded workers for undertaking routes and schedules that put them at risk of harm in locations plagued by violence” h…
Can't help but wonder what Uber's infosec looks like if an employee was able to make off with 124,000 internal corporate files seemingly without anyone noticing. https://www.theguardian.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
“The company approach in these places was essentially to break the law, show how amazing Uber's service was, and then change the law. My job was to go above the heads of city officials, build relations with the top level of government, and negotiate.” https://www.theguardian.com/…
And from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which helped organize and lead the collaboration of more than 180 journalists worldwide. https://www.icij.org/...
Cape Town and Johannesburg became two of Uber's fastest cities to reach profitability after it hiked commissions, cutting into driver earnings. Meanwhile, a decision to add cash payments upped their exposure to crime. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
The company enticed drivers in the developing nation with lucrative subsidies, then undermined these workers with policies that made their jobs more perilous, documents in the newly unearthed Uber Files show. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Source of the Uber leaks goes public: “I am partly responsible. 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 the rules because drivers were going to benefit...” https://www.theguardian.com/ .…
So... there is plenty of actually damning stuff in The Uber Files, so this isn't an attempt to minimize it. But so many people are focused on the “we're pirates” quote which I think means a lot less than people think... https://www.theguardian.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Holy moly! Honestly I don't know how Uber ever wants to be taken seriously again as a proper company that follows the law after these revelations. #UberFiles https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
I'm surprised Uber only opened in Malta in June 2022. “Uber was adept at finding unofficial routes to power, applying influence through friends or intermediaries... [it] enlisted the backing of powerful figures ... by [..] turning them into “strategic investors”. https://twitter.…
Proud to have contributed to #UberFiles as they revealed not only the systemic proximity between corporate & political power but also the embarrassing inadequacy of our legal and political culture to address the former. More on @BBCPanorama tomorrow https://www.bbc.com/...