Uber settles US allegations over data privacy

Uber Technologies has agreed to two decades of audits after US regulators found the ride-services company failed to protect the personal information of drivers and passengers and deceived the public about efforts to prevent snooping by its employees.

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday announced a settlement with Uber that requires the San Francisco-based company to implement a privacy programme and conduct an audit every two years for the next 20 to make certain it meets the FTC requirements, reports Reuters.

"Our order requires a culture of privacy sensitivity for Uber," FTC Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen said on a call with reporters. "It's going to make them take privacy into account every day."

The settlement reflects Uber's latest attempt to move past a series of crises, including an internal probe of sexual harassment allegations, the departure of CEO Travis Kalanick and other top executives and a high-stakes lawsuit over its autonomous car designs.

Uber is now consumed by in-fighting among a divided board of directors and angry shareholders after an investor lawsuit was filed against Kalanick, who was ousted in June.

An Uber spokesman said in an emailed statement that the company was pleased the FTC investigation had ended, adding: "We've significantly strengthened our privacy and data security practices since then and will continue to invest heavily in these programs."