Uber’s “God View” controversy prompts it to hire privacy experts

The controversy surrounding Uber’s privacy practices is picking up faster than the drivers of the global ride-sharing service. To help curb that lack of enthusiasm, the San Francisco-based startup has tapped a Silicon Industry industry veteran from one of tech’s oldest stalwarts. Uber has tapped former IBM chief privacy officer Harriet Pearson to work with the company’s privacy team. As a partner for Washington D.C.-based legal firm Hogan Lovells, where she specializes in cybersecurity and privacy, Pearson and her staff will launch a review of Uber’s existing data privacy program in order to reassess problem areas and provide recommendations for change. “Our business depends on the trust of the millions of riders and drivers who use Uber,” wrote Uber spokesperson Natalia Montalvo in a memo on Thursday. “The trip history of our riders is important information and we understand that we must treat it carefully and with respect, protecting it from unauthorized access.