Uber used "Greyball" tool to hide from government officials

City officials from Portland, Oregon, have revealed that Uber did use a tool to intentionally hide from 16 government officials responsible for regulating the company.

The controversial tool named "Greyball" was first used in December 2014 when Uber entered the Portland market without an operators licence. The software put in place meant that Uber could block regulators within the state from taking Uber rides. The American ride hailing firm eventually won approval to ply its services in Portland four months later. Greyball was then dropped. 

Somewhat surprisingly, Portman City have issued no fines or penalties despite the findings. 

According to Reuters Uber rolled out the use of Greyball in other regions where they was unlicensed such as Boston, Paris and Las Vegas, and then in countries like Australia, China, Italy and South Korea.