Getty ImagesThe StoryThe Uber Files are exposing the dark side of the company. What do you mean?More than 120,000 newly leaked docs from 2013 to 2017 reveal how the ride-hailing giant’s executives deceived investigators, got help from top politicians around the world, skirted millions of dollars in taxes, and exploited violence against its drivers under the helm of then-CEO Travis Kalanick. Here are some of the big takeaways… Violence: In 2015, 80 Uber drivers were reportedly attacked in clashes with taxi drivers across Europe. But the docs show the company saw that violence as something to leverage to get public support and legislative wins. At one point, Kalanick told colleagues that “violence guarantees success” and ordered them to potentially put French Uber drivers in harm’s way by encouraging them to stage a counter-protest. The kill switch: It’s what the company used to remotely cut access to its devices and servers during government raids in at least six countries. In 2015, Kalanick personally issued an order during a police raid in Uber’s Amsterdam office saying, “hit the kill switch ASAP.” Political alliances: The company secretly lobbied politicians around the world, including French President Emmanuel Macron, then-VP Joe Biden, and others. In one case, Biden reportedly changed his speech after meeting with Uber’s CEO to talk the company up. How’s Uber responding?The company admitted to “mistakes and missteps” in the past, but said it’s transformed into a “different” company since Kalanick resigned in 2017. Kalanick says he never authorized actions that would “obstruct justice” and that he never suggested taking “advantage of violence at the expense of driver safety.” theSkimm Uber was founded in 2009 to make people’s lives easier (and cheaper) just from a tap of their phone. But the transformation came at a steep price for drivers’ safety and livelihoods. | 