Regulators worldwide have begun probing Uber following the recent revelation that the company had covered up a hack that stole the personal info of 57 million users.
CNBC reports that regulators around the globe have begun probes into an alleged coverup of a hack of the ride-sharing app Uber last year, which saw the personal data of 57 million Uber riders and drivers stolen. Uber reportedly paid the hackers $100,000 to delete the stolen data and stay quiet about the situation under the guidance of former Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner’s office said, “Incidents such as this are a timely reminder to Australians of the value of the personal information we provide in order to receive products and services.”
Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Commission told CNBC in a statement that it is, “aware of the breach and is in touch with Uber for more details.” Similarly, the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office told CNBC that Uber could be subject to an investigation and may face fines of up to £500,000.
An ICO spokesperson stated, “We will be investigating but as regards what actions we eventually take, that depends on what we find, and obviously it’s very early days at this stage.”
An Uber spokesperson stated that the company is currently contacting multiple regulatory bodies and government authorities and expects to have “ongoing discussions” with them. “Until we complete that process we aren’t in a position to get into any more details,” the spokesperson stated.
Five U.S. states have announced that they will be investigating the data breach for violation of data protection laws according to Recode.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan_ or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com.
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