Root of Corruption - Annex: The curious case of Imran Awan & Uber | Klout (pizzagatewhatever)

submitted ago by argosciv

RoC: Index / ToC / Overview: Chapter 2

Note: The entries listed ahead under previous, may not or may not be contextually relevant by the time I'm done here - explained in preface.

Previous:

ITT:

  • Looking at curiosities regarding Imran Awan and Uber.
  • Per above, looking deeper into Uber to see if there's anything noteworthy on the topic of global corruption.

Preface

I was originally intending for this entry to be published as Part 14 in RoC Chapter 1, but, other topics required attention and snowballed into what can now loosely be called "The Scientology & NXIVM Saga", the original inspiration for this thread was, at the time, based on rumors regarding Imran Awan allegedly being an Uber driver and requesting a larger area in which he could move about freely, so that he could continue to drive for Uber without a large impact on the journeys he was able to undertake - also of interest was at least 2 morbid Uber-related situations involving greusome death and/or attempts to cause harm, etc - alongside Uber-related disinfo being circulated. In short, I've felt that something is amiss with Uber, for a very long time.

Some references to morbid incidents involving Uber:

[3. http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2018/01/jason_dalton_status_conference.html | https://archive.is/rOCxO]:

Criminal case of Uber shooter on hold pending Supreme Court ruling

Updated January 19, 2018 at 2:05 PM; Posted January 19, 2018 at 2:04 PM

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Criminal proceedings against suspected Uber shooter Jason Dalton remain on hold as Kalamazoo County awaits a decision by the Michigan Supreme Court.

Attorneys for Dalton filed an appeal with the Supreme Court after the lower Michigan Court of Appeals declined to hear the appeal.

A status conference scheduled for Dalton's case in Kalamazoo County for Friday afternoon has been rescheduled to Feb. 23.~~

~~Dalton, an Uber driver, is accused of going on a shooting rampage the night of Feb. 20, 2016 at three locations in Kalamazoo County, killing Judy Brown, Barbara Hawthorne, Mary Jo Nye, Mary Lou Nye, Rich Smith and Tyler Smith, and injuring Tiana Carruthers and Abigail Kopf.

Dalton, 47, of Cooper Township, faces six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder and eight felony firearm counts. He was found competent to stand trial in April 2016 and in May 2016 was ordered to stand trial. Solis has filed a notice of intent to use an insanity defense.~~

[4. wiki: 2016 Kalamazoo shootings]

[5. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-uber-driver-killed-teen-charged-met-20170531-story.html | https://archive.is/pYQcr]:

Girl, 16, accused of killing Uber driver with stolen knife, machete

https://archive.is/pYQcr/cc36feaf2f20c06435962bf1409c2e0723dd8933

Eliza Wasni, 16, of Chicago has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the slaying of Uber driver Grant Nelson on May 30, 2017. (Village of Lincolnwood)

I had been happy to shelve the Uber case while addressing more pertinent issues, but, the following came to my attention earlier today:

https://tweetsave.com/klout/status/994634099431165952

Klout

To all of our fans: after careful consideration we have decided to shut down the Klout website & the Klout Score. This will happen on May 25, 2018. It has been a pleasure serving you, and thank you for your ongoing support over the years. Details here: [link]

May 10, 2018 17:43:43 UTC

[5. [^ "Details here: [link]"]: https://community.lithium.com/t5/Lithium-s-View-Blog/Sunsetting-Klout/ba-p/473363 | https://archive.is/ZVlyF]:

An update on Klout

Hi,

I’m writing to let you know that Lithium has made the decision to sunset the Klout service, effective May 25, 2018.

Lithium is committed to providing you with the technology and services that will enable you to differentiate your customer experience. Our recent launch of Lithium Messaging is evidence of our focus on this mission. The Klout acquisition provided Lithium with valuable artificial intelligence (AI) and machinelearning capabilities but Klout as a standalone service is not aligned with our long-term strategy.

Our goal with these AI and machine learning investments is to improve our customer care capabilities across the board, whether that’s self-service, peer-to-peer, or direct-to-brand. In the near-term, for example, we will be looking to improve agent productivity within SMM and improve the overall user experience in Community through the application of AI, while we are also planning the launch of a new social impact scoring methodology based on Twitter.

"What is the significance of this?"

Great question, let's get into it...

Starting with the situation regarding Imran Awan and Uber:

[6. http://dailycaller.com/2017/08/29/exclusive-imran-awan-has-still-active-secret-house-account-and-its-tied-to-an-intelligence-staffer/ | https://archive.is/hnN5C]:

Exclusive: Wasserman Schultz IT Staffer Banned From House Network Months Ago Still Has Active Account

LUKE ROSIAK Investigative Reporter | 10:23 PM 08/29/2017

A former IT aide suspected of stealing equipment and data from Congress still has an active, secret email account on the House computer system, even though he has been banned from the congressional network because of a criminal investigation into the alleged cybersecurity violations, The Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group has learned.

Imran Awan’s still-active email address is linked to the name of a House staffer who specializes in intelligence and homeland security matters for Indiana Democratic Rep. André Carson. Court documents and emails obtained by TheDCNF show Awan used the address [email protected] in addition to his standard [email protected] account.

He and two of his Pakistani-born brothers, as well as his wife, are at the center of an FBI investigation over their IT work with dozens of Democratic congressional offices. Authorities shut down Awan’s standard email account Feb. 2, and he was arrested by the FBI at Dulles International Airport trying to board a flight to his native Pakistan on July 25.

Authorities apparently did not realize Awan has a second account that is not linked to his identity. While his main email address began rejecting mail after it was shut down, the 123 address was still accepting mail Tuesday.

Mail sent via Gmail fills in the name of the account-holder of 123 as Nathan Bennett, whose LinkedIn profile says his individual legislative portfolio covers “national security and foreign affairs” and includes work on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

image: Nathan Bennett as name for [email protected]

The member Bennett works for, Carson, is a member of both the House Intelligence and House Homeland Security Committees, and previously employed Awan.~~

[7. http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/01/awan-asks-judge-to-remove-gps-citing-possible-emergency-with-kids-in-pakistan/ | https://archive.is/wZ155]:

VIDEO: Awan Asks Judge To Remove GPS, Citing Possible Emergency With Kids In Pakistan

LUKE ROSIAK Investigative Reporter | 1:43 PM 09/01/2017

A former House of Representatives IT aide was arraigned in federal court Friday on four felony fraud charges, appearing with three attorneys including Chris Gowen, a former close aide to Hillary and Bill Clinton.

Gowen asked that Imran Awan’s GPS monitoring bracelet be removed, citing that Imran might need to attend to an emergency with his children. In a press conference outside court, Gowen admitted that the children are in Pakistan and refused to explain the discrepancy.

“His ability to parent, which may well be single parenting, if there is an emergency…” Gowen said.

He also asked for other restrictions on his movement to be lifted, saying he has been driving for Uber, but the company had no record of any driver matching several variations of Imran’s name.

Prosecutor Michael Marando opposed the motions, saying Imran is a severe flight risk. “From Day 1 there was a pattern of flight. It began September 2016… a pattern of transfers to Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said. The judge has not ruled on the motion.~~

~~Gowen asked that Imran no longer be barred from traveling more than 50 miles, claiming that Imran — who made $165,000 a year in Congress and also owned four houses with his wife, needed money and was driving Uber. “He is driving for Uber and the 50 mile radius makes that hard… if he rejects a call he will lose his job.”

Uber spokesman Susan Hendrick said there was no record of an Imran Awan matching his description listed as driving for the company. Imran has also gone by two other names, and Hendrick said “There are not any individuals associated with the Uber app with the names ‘Mohammad Awan’ or ‘Shahid Awan’ in Lorton or Springfield.” Imran has two criminal misdemeanor convictions for driving offenses including reckless driving, according to court records.

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argosciv ago

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"Wait, what does all this have to do with Klout?"

Shut the fuck up & keep reading, I'm getting there.

[12. (CNN source warning) http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/21/technology/uber-ceo-travis-kalanick-timeline | https://archive.is/PAMqn]:

The rise and fall of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick

by Alanna Petroff ~~ June 21, 2017: 11:42 AM ET

Travis Kalanick spent most of the past decade turning a taxi app into the world's most valuable startup.

But his ride as CEO of Uber came to an end Tuesday when he resigned after a seemingly endless series of scandals raised doubts over his leadership.

Here's a look at the highs and lows of the controversial entrepreneur's career:

Before Uber: As an undergrad, Kalanick teamed up with fellow UCLA computer science students to create Scour, a peer-to-peer file sharing service that resembled Napster. It didn't last.

But he had caught the entrepreneurship bug, and went four years without taking a salary at his next startup, another peer-to-peer network called Red Swoosh.

Kalanick has said that he ate a lot of ramen noodles during those lean years. He would later wear socks emblazoned with the words "Blood, sweat and ramen."

Red Swoosh was sold for about $15 million in 2007.

2008: Kalanick claims that he came up with the idea for Uber when he was unable to flag down a taxi in Paris during a tech conference.

But that may be more creation myth than fact.

Garrett Camp, another serial entrepreneur, came up with the idea for Uber in mid-2008 after getting "blacklisted" by the two big cab companies in San Francisco, according to a recent book by Adam Lashinsky. Camp brought on Kalanick and three other friends as advisers.

~~

Okay, it's time for the wiki chain; buckle up:

[13. wiki: Travis Kalanick]:

Travis Cordell Kalanick (/ˈkælənɪk/) (born August 6, 1976) is an American businessman. He is the co-founder of Scour, a peer to peer file sharing application, Red Swoosh, a peer-to-peer content delivery network, and Uber, a transportation network company. Red Swoosh was sold to Akamai Technologies in 2007.[3][citation needed] Kalanick resigned from Uber in 2017 after reports that sexual harassment occurred under his tenure. He remains a shareholder and board-member.[4]

Kalanick is ranked 115th on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans, with a net worth of $4.8 billion.[1]

[14. [13]: wiki: Red Swoosh]

[15. [13]: wiki: Uber]:

Uber Technologies Inc. is a peer-to-peer ridesharing, food delivery, and transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, California, with operations in 633 cities worldwide. Its platforms can be accessed via its websites and mobile apps.

The name "Uber" is a reference to the common (and somewhat colloquial) word "uber", meaning "topmost" or "super", and having its origins in the German word über, meaning "above".[4]

Uber has been prominent in the sharing economy, so much so that the changes in industries as a result of it have been referred to as Uberisation.[5][6][7] Uber has also been the subject of protests and legal actions and the subject of a criminal investigation for its use of Greyball.

~~

Divisions UberEATS, Otto

~~

Operations

Levels of service

Uber offers various service levels and types. Not all service levels or types are available in every region.

Ride service levels include:[8]

  • UberBLACK offers a black luxury vehicle
  • UberKIDS provides a car with a child safety seat
  • UberPETS includes pet transport
  • UberPOOL, available for up to 2 people per party, is the lowest cost level of service, in which the customer may share a ride with other passengers going in the same general direction
  • UberPOP offers a compact or subcompact car
  • UberSELECT provides a car with a leather interior
  • UberSUV offers an SUV
  • UberX provides a private ride in a standard car for up to 4 passengers
  • UberXL provides a larger car that can seat up to 6 passengers
  • UberWAV offers a wheelchair accessible vehicle

Additionally:

  • UberAUTO, available in Pakistan, provides transportation by auto rickshaw.[9]
  • UberBOAT, a water-taxi service. In Istanbul, it offers transportation by Beneteau boats across the Bosporus strait.[10] It also offers speedboats in the summer along the coast of Croatia.[11] UberBOAT has also run in other cities during special events such as across Biscayne Bay during Miami Art Week.[12][13]

~~

[16. [15]: wiki: Otto (company)]

Otto[man]

[17. [13]: wiki: Akamai Technologies]

[13]:

Career

~~

Uber (2009–2017)

~~

Economic Advisor to Trump Council

Despite CTO Thuan Pham's 2016 internal email to employees commenting, "I will not even utter the name of this deplorable person because I do not accept him as my leader" on the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, which was widely circulated and published by the media,[40][41] in December 2016, it was announced that Kalanick joined other CEOs, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Disney CEO Bob Iger, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, and former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, as an economic advisor on Trump's Strategy and Policy Forum,[42] organized by Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman.[43] Kalanick vocally opposed President Trump's executive order banning travel from select countries and believed that remaining on Trump's advisory council would provide him with the opportunity to directly address his concerns with the President and advocate for immigrants. In an Uber blog post, Kalanick stated that he wanted to use his position on the council to "give citizens a voice, a seat at the table."[44] However, after continued pressure, Kalanick announced in an email to Uber employees that he would step down from the council.[45]

Criticism of Kalanick's behavior at Uber

In 2017, it was reported that Kalanick had knowledge of sexual harassment allegations at Uber and did nothing.[46] In the same week, he asked his direct report,[47] Uber's SVP of Engineering Amit Singhal, to resign after a month for failing to disclose a sexual harassment claim during Singhal's 15 years as VP of Google Search, after Recode reported about it in media.[48][49][50] According to Reuters, he has "a reputation as an abrasive leader".[51][52]

In February 2017, a video was released where Kalanick was shimmying between two women in an UberBLACK, before arguing with an Uber driver during a heated debate in which he berated the driver.[53][54][55]

In March 2017, Uber VP of Business, Emil Michael contacted Kalanick's ex-girlfriend in an attempt to silence her into hiding an HR complaint. This backfired, with her speaking to The Information as a source present during an executive team outing with Kalanick, where Michael and four more Uber managers selected numbered women at a Korean escort bar, prompting a complaint one year later, by the female manager who attended.[56][57] She also has since spoken to Businessweek about Uber's India rape case.[58]

On June 21, 2017, he stepped down as the CEO of Uber because of the pressure from a majority of the investors as he was seen as a liability but will continue to stay on the company’s board.[59]

[18. [13]: wiki: Emil Michael]

Emil G. Michael (Arabic: إيميل مايكل‎ ; born September 19, 1972)[2] is an Egyptian-born American businessman.

Career

Michael served as a special assistant to Robert Gates from 2009 until 2011.[5] In July 2012 he became Chief Operating Officer of Klout,[6] which he left to join Uber as Vice President of Business in September 2013.[5] In June 2017, Emil left his position at Uber after 4 years at the company. [7]

[19. [18]: wiki: Robert Gates]

[20. [18]: wiki: Klout]:

Klout is a website and mobile app that uses social media analytics to rate its users according to online social influence via the "Klout Score", which is a numerical value between 1 and 100. In determining the user score, Klout measures the size of a user's social media network and correlates the content created to measure how other users interact with that content.[3] Klout launched in 2008.[4]

Klout uses Bing, Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Wikipedia data to create Klout user profiles that are assigned a unique "Klout Score".[5] Klout scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a higher ranking of the breadth and strength of one's online social influence. While all Twitter users are assigned a score, users who register at Klout can link multiple social networks, of which network data is then aggregated to influence the user's Klout Score.

Lithium Technologies, who acquired the site in March 2014, announced on May 10th, 2018 that they will end the service on May 25, 2018.[6]

~~

Owner Lithium Technologies

Founder(s) Joe Fernandez, Binh Tran

Key people Joe Fernandez (CEO), Emil Michael (COO)

~~

[21. [20]: wiki: Lithium Technologies]

[22. [20]: wiki: Joe Fernandez (businessman)]

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