Portland probe finds Uber used software to evade 16 govt officials

An Uber sign points to drop off and pick up location on a city street in Portland, Oregon March 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake

A sweeping investigation by the city of Portland, Oregon, found that Uber Technologies Inc used a software tool to intentionally evade 16 government officials whose job it was to regulate the ride-services company, city officials said. 

When Uber began operating in Portland in December 2014, it did not have any permits, so it used a software tool it had created called Greyball to block regulators from booking rides. Uber stopped using the software after it received approval to operate its service in Portland in April 2015.