Uber Technologies Inc
For the period ended Sep 30, 2024. Filed Oct 31, 2024.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Sep 30, 2024 · Filed Oct 31, 2024
What changed in Risk Factors?
Read the current filingPrevious report: 10-Q
Period ended 2024-06-30; filed 2024-08-06.
0001543151-24-000027
Item 1A. Risk FactorsUnregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of ProceedsCurrent report: 10-Q
Period ended 2024-09-30; filed 2024-10-31.
0001543151-24-000036
Item 1A. Risk FactorsUnregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of ProceedsThe baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.
Compared 346 previous paragraphs and 347 current paragraphs.
311 unchanged; 34 reworded; 0 added; 0 removed; 1 previous and 2 current paragraphs rearranged.
Tables are not compared: 1 previous and 1 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.
A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.
Reworded paragraphs (34)
Previous wording
•We have incurred significant losses, including in the United States and other major markets. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the foreseeable future, and we may not achieve or maintain profitability.
Current wording
•We have incurred significant losses, including in the United States and other major markets. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the foreseeable future, and we may not maintain profitability.
Previous wording
•We have experienced and may experience security or data privacy breaches or other unauthorized or improper access to, acquisition of, use of, alteration of or destruction of our proprietary or confidential data, employee data, or platform user data.
Current wording
•We have experienced and may experience security or data privacy breaches or other unauthorized or improper access to, acquisition of, use of, disclosure of, alteration of or destruction of our proprietary or confidential data, employee data, or platform user data.
Previous wording
•Increased attention to, and evolving expectations regarding, environment, social and governance and sustainability matters may impact our business, reputation and liabilities, including in the context of certain commitments we have made.
Current wording
•Increased attention to, and evolving expectations regarding, environment, social and governance and sustainability matters may impact our business, reputation and liabilities, including in the context of certain goals we have announced.
Previous wording
Other examples of judicial decisions include a decision by the French Supreme Court that a driver for a third-party meal delivery service was under a “subordinate relationship” of the service, indicating an employment relationship, a decision by the French Supreme Court that reclassified an UberX Driver as an employee (which has been followed by inconsistent appellate decisions regarding employee status), decisions by several Swiss governmental bodies ruling that Drivers should be classified as employees for Swiss social security or regulatory purposes, a recent Spanish regulation of food delivery platforms that presumes employment status and a ruling in September 2021 by a Netherlands court that Mobility Drivers are employees within the meaning of the taxi collective bargaining agreement.
Current wording
Other examples of judicial decisions include a decision by the French Supreme Court that a driver for a third-party meal delivery service was under a “subordinate relationship” of the service, indicating an employment relationship, a decision by the French Supreme Court that reclassified an UberX Driver as an employee (which has been followed by inconsistent appellate decisions regarding employee status), decisions by several Swiss governmental bodies ruling that Drivers should be classified as employees for Swiss social security or regulatory purposes, a recent Spanish regulation of food delivery platforms that presumes employment status and a ruling in September 2021 by a Netherlands court that Mobility Drivers are employees within the meaning of the taxi collective bargaining agreement. As another example, in October 2024, Mexico’s President announced she will present a bill to amend Mexico’s Federal Labor Law and reclassify all mobility and delivery earners who make more than one minimum salary a month as employees, with traditional labor law rights, including sharing into the profits of the company.
Previous wording
The markets in which we compete have attracted significant investments from a wide range of funding sources, and we anticipate that many of our competitors will continue to be highly capitalized. Moreover, certain of our stockholders have made substantial investments in certain of our competitors and may increase such investments, make new investments in other competitors, or enter into strategic transactions with competitors in the future. These investments or strategic transactions, along with other competitive advantages discussed above, may allow our competitors to compete more effectively against us and continue to lower their prices, offer Driver incentives or consumer discounts and promotions, or otherwise attract Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers to their platform and away from ours. Such competitive pressures may lead us to maintain or lower fares or service fees or maintain or increase our Driver incentives and consumer discounts and promotions. Ridesharing and certain other categories in which we compete are relatively nascent, and we cannot guarantee that they will stabilize at a competitive equilibrium that will allow us to achieve or maintain profitability.
Current wording
The markets in which we compete have attracted significant investments from a wide range of funding sources, and we anticipate that many of our competitors will continue to be highly capitalized. Moreover, certain of our stockholders have made substantial investments in certain of our competitors and may increase such investments, make new investments in other competitors, or enter into strategic transactions with competitors in the future. These investments or strategic transactions, along with other competitive advantages discussed above, may allow our competitors to compete more effectively against us and continue to lower their prices, offer Driver incentives or consumer discounts and promotions, or otherwise attract Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers to their platform and away from ours. Such competitive pressures may lead us to maintain or lower fares or service fees or maintain or increase our Driver incentives and consumer discounts and promotions. Ridesharing and certain other categories in which we compete are relatively nascent, and we cannot guarantee that they will stabilize at a competitive equilibrium that will allow us to maintain profitability.
Previous wording
We have incurred significant losses, including in the United States and other major markets. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the foreseeable future, and we may not achieve or maintain profitability.
Current wording
We have incurred significant losses, including in the United States and other major markets. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the foreseeable future, and we may not maintain profitability.
Previous wording
We incurred operating losses of $3.8 billion and $1.8 billion in the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively, and, as of June 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $30.2 billion. We will need to generate and sustain increased revenue levels and decrease proportionate expenses in future periods to achieve or maintain profitability in many of our largest markets, including in the United States, and even if we do, we may not be able to maintain or increase profitability. We may continue to incur losses in the near term as a result of substantial increases in our operating expenses, as we continue to invest in order to: increase the number of Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers using our platform through incentives, discounts, and promotions; expand within existing or into new markets; increase our research and development expenses; expand marketing channels and operations; hire additional employees; and add new products and offerings to our platform. These efforts may prove more expensive than we anticipate, and we may not succeed in increasing our revenue sufficiently to offset these expenses. Many of our efforts to generate revenue are new and unproven, and any failure to adequately increase revenue or contain the related costs could prevent us from attaining or increasing profitability. In addition, we sometimes introduce new products that we expect to add value to our overall platform and network but which we expect will generate lower Gross Bookings per Trip or a lower Revenue Margin. Further, we charge a lower service fee to certain of our largest chain restaurant partners on our Delivery offering to grow the number of Delivery consumers, which may at times result in a negative Revenue Margin with respect to those transactions after considering amounts collected from consumers and paid to Drivers. As we expand our offerings to additional cities, our offerings in these cities may be less profitable than the markets in which we currently operate. As such, we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability in the near term, in accordance with our expectations, or at all. Additionally, we may not realize the operating efficiencies we expect to achieve as a result of our acquisition of Careem, Postmates or other acquired companies, and may continue to incur significant operating losses in the United States, Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan in the future. Even if we do experience operating efficiencies, our operating results may not improve, at least in the near term.
Current wording
We incurred operating losses of $3.8 billion and $1.8 billion in the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively, and, as of September 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $27.6 billion. We will need to generate and sustain increased revenue levels and decrease proportionate expenses in future periods to achieve or maintain profitability in many of our largest markets, including in the United States, and even if we do, we may not be able to maintain or increase profitability. We may continue to incur losses in the near term as a result of substantial increases in our operating expenses, as we continue to invest in order to: increase the number of Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers using our platform through incentives, discounts, and promotions; expand within existing or into new markets; increase our research and development expenses; expand marketing channels and operations; hire additional employees; and add new products and offerings to our platform. These efforts may prove more expensive than we anticipate, and we may not succeed in increasing our revenue sufficiently to offset these expenses. Many of our efforts to generate revenue are new and unproven, and any failure to adequately increase revenue or contain the related costs could prevent us from attaining or increasing profitability. In addition, we sometimes introduce new products that we expect to add value to our overall platform and network but which we expect will generate lower Gross Bookings per Trip or a lower Revenue Margin. Further, we charge a lower service fee to certain of our largest chain restaurant partners on our Delivery offering to grow the number of Delivery consumers, which may at times result in a negative Revenue Margin with respect to those transactions after considering amounts collected from consumers and paid to Drivers. As we expand our offerings to additional cities, our offerings in these cities may be less profitable than the markets in which we currently operate. As such, we may not be able to maintain profitability in the near term, in accordance with our expectations, or at all. Additionally, we may not realize the operating efficiencies we expect to achieve as a result of our acquisition of Careem, Postmates or other acquired companies, and may continue to incur significant operating losses in the United States, Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan in the future. Even if we do experience operating efficiencies, our operating results may not improve, at least in the near term.
Previous wording
In 2022, we released a second safety report, which provides the public with data related to reports of sexual assaults and other critical safety incidents claimed to have occurred on our platform in the United States. Public responses to our safety reports or any future safety reports or similar public reporting of safety incidents claimed to have occurred on our platform, which may include disclosure of reports provided to regulators and other government authorities, as well as public responses to any third party assessments of our civil rights impact, may continue to result in positive and negative media coverage and increased regulatory scrutiny and could adversely affect our reputation with platform users. Further unfavorable media coverage and negative publicity could adversely impact our financial results and future prospects. As our platform continues to scale and becomes increasingly interconnected, resulting in increased media coverage and public awareness of our brand, future damage to our brand and reputation could have an amplified effect on our various platform offerings. Additionally, some of our acquired and majority-owned companies, including Careem, Postmates and Cornershop, have or will continue to use their own brands and/or operate their own apps in parallel with our brand and apps, and any damage or reputational harm to their brands could adversely impact our brand and reputation.
Current wording
In 2024, we released a third safety report, which provides the public with data related to reports of sexual assaults and other critical safety incidents claimed to have occurred on our platform in the United States. Public responses to our safety reports or any future safety reports or similar public reporting of safety incidents claimed to have occurred on our platform, which may include disclosure of reports provided to regulators and other government authorities, as well as public responses to any third-party assessments of our civil rights impact, may continue to result in positive and negative media coverage, increased regulatory scrutiny, and litigation, and could adversely affect our reputation with platform users. Further unfavorable media coverage and negative publicity could adversely impact our financial results and future prospects. As our platform continues to scale and becomes increasingly interconnected, resulting in increased media coverage and public awareness of our brand, future damage to our brand and reputation could have an amplified effect on our various platform offerings. Additionally, some of our acquired and majority-owned companies, including Careem, Postmates and Cornershop, have or will continue to use their own brands and/or operate their own apps in parallel with our brand and apps, and any damage or reputational harm to their brands could adversely impact our brand and reputation.
Previous wording
Our brand and reputation might also be harmed by events outside of our control. For example, we have licensed our brand in connection with certain divestitures and joint ventures, including to Didi in China and to Yandex in Russia/CIS, and while we have certain contractual protections in place governing the use of our brand by these companies, we do not control these businesses, we are not able to anticipate their actions, and consumers may not be aware that these service providers are not controlled by us. Furthermore, if Drivers, merchants, or Carriers provide diminished quality of service, are involved in incidents regarding safety or privacy, engage in malfeasance, or otherwise violate the law, we may receive unfavorable press coverage and our reputation and business may be harmed. As a result, any of these third parties could take actions that result in harm to our brand, reputation, and consequently, our business.
Current wording
Our brand and reputation might also be harmed by events outside of our control. For example, we have licensed our brand in connection with certain divestitures and joint ventures, including to Yandex in Russia/CIS, and while we have certain contractual protections in place governing the use of our brand by these companies, we do not control these businesses, we are not able to anticipate their actions, and consumers may not be aware that these service providers are not controlled by us. Furthermore, if Drivers, merchants, or Carriers provide diminished quality of service, are involved in incidents regarding safety or privacy, engage in malfeasance, or otherwise violate the law, we may receive unfavorable press coverage and our reputation and business may be harmed. As a result, any of these third parties could take actions that result in harm to our brand, reputation, and consequently, our business.
Previous wording
While we have taken significant steps to rehabilitate our brand and reputation, the successful rehabilitation of our brand will depend largely on maintaining a good reputation, minimizing the number of safety incidents, continuing an improved culture and workplace practices, improving our compliance programs, maintaining a high quality of service and ethical behavior, and continuing our marketing and public relations efforts. Our brand promotion, reputation building, and media strategies have involved significant costs and may not be successful. We anticipate that other competitors and potential competitors will expand their offerings, which will make maintaining and enhancing our reputation and brand increasingly more difficult and expensive. If we fail to successfully maintain our brand in the current or future competitive environment or if events occur in the future which negatively affect public perception of our company, our brand and reputation would be further damaged and our business may suffer.
Current wording
While we have taken significant steps to rehabilitate our brand and reputation, the successful rehabilitation of our brand will depend largely on maintaining a good reputation, minimizing the number of safety incidents, continuing an improved culture and workplace practices, improving our compliance programs, continuing to invest in safety features and improvements, maintaining a high quality of service and ethical behavior, and continuing our marketing and public relations efforts. Our brand promotion, reputation building, and media strategies have involved significant costs and may not be successful. We anticipate that other competitors and potential competitors will expand their offerings, which will make maintaining and enhancing our reputation and brand increasingly more difficult and expensive. If we fail to successfully maintain our brand in the current or future competitive environment or if events occur in the future which negatively affect public perception of our company, our brand and reputation would be further damaged and our business may suffer.
Previous wording
As of June 30, 2024, we had approximately 30,400 global employees, of whom approximately 17,500 were located outside the United States. The total number of our employees located outside the United States has increased and may continue to increase as we expand globally. Properly managing our growth will require us to continue to hire, train, and manage qualified employees and staff, including engineers, operations personnel, financial and accounting staff, and sales and marketing staff, and to improve and maintain our technology. If our new hires perform poorly, if we are unsuccessful in hiring, training, managing, and integrating new employees and staff, or if we are not successful in retaining our existing employees and staff, our business may be harmed. Moreover, in order to optimize our organizational structure, we have implemented several reductions in workforce and restructurings, and may in the future implement other reductions in workforce. Any reduction in workforce or restructuring may yield unintended consequences and costs, such as attrition beyond the intended reduction in workforce, the distraction of employees, or reduced employee morale and could adversely affect our reputation as an employer, which could make it more difficult for us to hire new employees in the future and increase the risk that we may not achieve the anticipated benefits from the reduction in workforce. Properly managing our growth or any reductions in workforce will require us to establish consistent policies across regions and functions, and a failure to do so could likewise harm our business.
Current wording
As of September 30, 2024, we had approximately 30,800 global employees, of whom approximately 17,800 were located outside the United States. The total number of our employees located outside the United States has increased and may continue to increase as we expand globally. Properly managing our growth will require us to continue to hire, train, and manage qualified employees and staff, including engineers, operations personnel, financial and accounting staff, and sales and marketing staff, and to improve and maintain our technology. If our new hires perform poorly, if we are unsuccessful in hiring, training, managing, and integrating new employees and staff, or if we are not successful in retaining our existing employees and staff, our business may be harmed. Moreover, in order to optimize our organizational structure, we have implemented several reductions in workforce and restructurings, and may in the future implement other reductions in workforce. Any reduction in workforce or restructuring may yield unintended consequences and costs, such as attrition beyond the intended reduction in workforce, the distraction of employees, or reduced employee morale and could adversely affect our reputation as an employer, which could make it more difficult for us to hire new employees in the future and increase the risk that we may not achieve the anticipated benefits from the reduction in workforce. Properly managing our growth or any reductions in workforce will require us to establish consistent policies across regions and functions, and a failure to do so could likewise harm our business.
Previous wording
We are not able to control or predict the actions of platform users and third parties, either during their use of our platform or otherwise, and we may be unable to protect or provide a safe environment for Drivers and consumers as a result of certain actions by Drivers, consumers, merchants, Carriers, and third parties. Such actions may result in injuries, property damage, or loss of life for consumers and third parties, or business interruption, brand and reputational damage, or significant liabilities for us. Although we administer certain qualification processes for users of our platform, including background checks on Drivers through third-party service providers, these qualification processes and background checks may not expose all potentially relevant information and are limited in certain jurisdictions according to national and local laws, and our third-party service providers may fail to conduct such background checks adequately or disclose information that could be relevant to a determination of eligibility. Further, the qualification and background check standards for Couriers are generally less extensive than those conducted for Mobility Drivers. In addition, we do not independently test Drivers’ driving skills. Consequently, we expect to continue to receive complaints from riders and other consumers, as well as actual or threatened legal action against us related to Driver conduct. We have also faced civil litigation alleging, among other things, inadequate Driver qualification processes and background checks, and general misrepresentations regarding the safety of our platform.
Current wording
We are not able to control or predict the actions of platform users and third parties, either during their use of our platform or otherwise, and we may be unable to protect or provide a safe environment for Drivers and consumers as a result of certain actions by Drivers, consumers, merchants, Carriers, and third parties. Such actions may result in injuries, property damage, or loss of life for consumers and third parties, or business interruption, brand and reputational damage, or significant liabilities for us. Although we administer certain qualification processes for users of our platform, including background checks on Drivers through third-party service providers in the United States, these qualification processes and background checks may not expose all potentially relevant information and are limited in certain jurisdictions according to national and local laws, and our third-party service providers where utilized may fail to conduct such background checks adequately or disclose information that could be relevant to a determination of eligibility. Further, the qualification and background check standards for Couriers are generally less extensive than those conducted for Mobility Drivers. In addition, we do not independently test Drivers’ driving skills. Consequently, we expect to continue to receive complaints from riders and other consumers, as well as actual or threatened legal action against us related to Driver conduct. We have also faced civil litigation alleging, among other things, inadequate Driver qualification processes and background checks, and general misrepresentations regarding the safety of our platform.
Previous wording
Any material decline in the business of these entities would adversely affect the value of our assets and our financial results. Furthermore, the value of these assets is based in part on the market valuations of these entities, and weakened financial markets have adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect such valuations. To the extent these businesses are or become publicly traded companies, volatility or fluctuations in the stock price of such companies could adversely impact our financial results. These positions could expose us to risks, litigation, and unknown liabilities because, among other things, these companies have limited operating histories in evolving industries and may have less predictable operating results; to the extent these companies are privately owned, limited public information is available and we may not learn all the material information regarding these businesses; are domiciled and operate in countries with particular economic, tax, political, legal, safety, regulatory and public health risks, including the extent of the impact of the pandemic on their business; are domiciled or operate in countries that may become subject to economic sanctions or foreign investment restrictions; depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of individuals, and, as a result, the death, disability, resignation, or termination of one or more of these individuals could have an adverse effect on the relevant company’s operations; and will likely require substantial additional capital to support their operations and expansion and to maintain their competitive positions.
Current wording
Any material decline in the business of these entities would adversely affect the value of our assets and our financial results. Furthermore, the value of these assets is based in part on the market valuations of these entities, and weakened financial markets have adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect such valuations. To the extent these businesses are or become publicly traded companies, volatility or fluctuations in the stock price of such companies could adversely impact our financial results. These positions could expose us to risks, litigation, and unknown liabilities because, among other things, these companies have limited operating histories in evolving industries and may have less predictable operating results; to the extent these companies are privately owned, limited public information is available and we may not learn all the material information regarding these businesses; are domiciled and operate in countries with particular economic, tax, political, legal, safety, regulatory and public health risks; are domiciled or operate in countries that may become subject to economic sanctions or foreign investment restrictions; depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of individuals, and, as a result, the death, disability, resignation, or termination of one or more of these individuals could have an adverse effect on the relevant company’s operations; and will likely require substantial additional capital to support their operations and expansion and to maintain their competitive positions.
Previous wording
If our growth slows more significantly than we currently expect, we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability, which would adversely affect our financial results and future prospects.
Current wording
If our growth slows more significantly than we currently expect, we may not be able to maintain profitability, which would adversely affect our financial results and future prospects.
Previous wording
We have invested, and we may continue to invest, substantial amounts in companies with whom we partner to offer autonomous vehicle technologies on our platform. For example, in January 2021, we completed the merger of our autonomous technologies business with Aurora, and included a $400 million investment in the combined company and a commercial agreement pursuant to which we and Aurora will collaborate with respect to the launch and commercialization of self-driving vehicles on our ridesharing network. We believe that autonomous vehicle technologies may have the ability to meaningfully impact the industries in which we compete and that autonomous vehicles present substantial opportunities. Several companies other than Aurora, including Waymo, Cruise Automation, Tesla, Apple, Zoox (a subsidiary of Amazon), Aptiv, and Nuro, are developing autonomous vehicle technologies, either alone or through collaborations with car manufacturers, and we expect that they will use such technology to further compete with us in the mobility, delivery, or logistics industries. Waymo has already introduced a commercialized ridehailing fleet of autonomous vehicles, and it is possible that our competitors could introduce autonomous vehicle offerings earlier than we will be able to offer autonomous vehicles on our platform through our commercial agreement with Aurora or other partners. In the event that our competitors bring autonomous vehicles to market before we are able to offer autonomous vehicles on our platform, or their technology is or is perceived to be superior to the technology of parties with which we partner to offer autonomous vehicles on our platform, they may be able to leverage such technology to compete more effectively with us, which would adversely impact our financial performance and our prospects. For example, use of autonomous vehicles could substantially reduce the cost of providing ridesharing, delivery, or logistics services, which could allow competitors to offer such services at a substantially lower price as compared to the price available to consumers on our platform. If a significant number of consumers choose to use our competitors’ offerings over ours, our financial performance and prospects would be adversely impacted.
Current wording
We have invested, and we may continue to invest, substantial amounts in companies with whom we partner to offer autonomous vehicle technologies on our platform. For example, in January 2021, we completed the merger of our autonomous technologies business with Aurora, and included a $400 million investment in the combined company and a commercial agreement pursuant to which we and Aurora will collaborate with respect to the launch and commercialization of self-driving vehicles on our ridesharing network. Additionally, we have entered into commercial partnerships with various autonomous mobility and/or autonomous delivery companies. We believe that autonomous vehicle technologies may have the ability to meaningfully impact the industries in which we compete and that autonomous vehicles present substantial opportunities. Several companies other than Aurora, including Waymo, Cruise Automation, Tesla, Apple, Zoox (a subsidiary of Amazon), Motional, and Nuro, are developing autonomous vehicle technologies in the United States, either alone or through collaborations with car manufacturers, as are similar companies globally, and we expect that they will use such technology to further compete with us in the mobility, delivery, or logistics industries. Waymo has introduced a commercialized ridehailing fleet of autonomous vehicles on its own platform in addition to a fleet of autonomous vehicles that it makes available through our platform, and it is possible that our competitors could introduce autonomous vehicle offerings earlier than we will be able to offer autonomous vehicles on our platform or that our commercial partnerships could expire or that our autonomous vehicle partners could otherwise remove theirs from our platform. In the event that our competitors bring autonomous vehicles to market before we are able to offer autonomous vehicles on our platform, deploy their autonomous vehicles on ridesharing, delivery or logistics platforms other than ours, or their technology is or is perceived to be superior to the technology of parties with which we partner to offer autonomous vehicles on our platform, they may be able to leverage such technology to compete more effectively with us, which would adversely impact our financial performance and our prospects. For example, use of autonomous vehicles could substantially reduce the cost of providing ridesharing, delivery, or logistics services, which could allow competitors to offer such services at a substantially lower price as compared to the price available to consumers on our platform. If a significant number of consumers choose to use our competitors’ offerings over ours, our financial performance and prospects would be adversely impacted.
Previous wording
•Cyberattacks, including computer malware, ransomware, viruses, denial of service attacks, account takeovers, spamming, and phishing attacks could harm our reputation, business, and operating results.
Current wording
Cyberattacks, including computer malware, ransomware, viruses, denial of service attacks, account takeovers, spamming, phishing and social engineering attacks could harm our reputation, business, and operating results.
Previous wording
Various other factors may also cause system failures or security breaches, including power outages, catastrophic events, inadequate or ineffective redundancy, issues with upgrading or creating new systems or platforms, flaws in third-party software or services, intentional acts or errors by our employees or third-party service providers, or breaches in the security of these systems or platforms. For example, fraudsters may attempt to induce employees, contractors, or platform users to disclose information to gain access to our data or the data of platform users. If our incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans do not resolve these issues in an effective manner, they could result in adverse impacts to our business operations and our financial results. Because of our prominence, the number of platform users, and the types and volume of personal data on our systems, we may be a particularly attractive target for such attacks. Although we have developed, and continue to develop, systems and processes that are designed to protect our data and that of platform users, and to prevent data loss, undesirable activities on our platform, and security breaches, we cannot guarantee that such measures will provide absolute security. Our efforts on this front may be unsuccessful as a result of, for example, software bugs or other technical malfunctions; employee, contractor, or vendor error or malfeasance; government surveillance; or other threats that evolve, and we may incur significant costs in protecting against or remediating cyber-attacks. Any actual or perceived failure to maintain the performance, reliability, security, and availability of our products, offerings, and technical infrastructure to the satisfaction of platform users and certain regulators would likely harm our reputation and result in loss of revenue from the adverse impact to our reputation and brand, disruption to our business, and our decreased ability to attract and retain Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers.
Current wording
Various other factors may also cause system failures or security breaches, including power outages, catastrophic events, inadequate or ineffective redundancy, issues with upgrading or creating new systems or platforms, flaws in third-party software or services, intentional acts or errors by our employees or third-party service providers, or breaches in the security of these systems or platforms. For example, fraudsters may attempt to induce employees, contractors, or platform users to disclose information to gain access to our data or the data of platform users. If our incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans do not resolve these issues in an effective manner, they could result in adverse impacts to our business operations and our financial results. Because of our prominence, the number of platform users, and the types and volume of personal data on our systems, we may be a particularly attractive target for such attacks. Although we have developed, and continue to develop, systems and processes that are designed to protect our data and that of platform users, and to prevent data loss, undesirable activities on our platform, and security breaches, we cannot guarantee that such measures will provide absolute security. Our efforts on this front may be unsuccessful as a result of, for example, software bugs or other technical malfunctions; employee, contractor, or vendor error or malfeasance; government surveillance; or other threats that evolve, and we may incur significant costs in protecting against or remediating cyberattacks. Any actual or perceived failure to maintain the performance, reliability, security, and availability of our products, offerings, and technical infrastructure to the satisfaction of platform users and certain regulators would likely harm our reputation and result in loss of revenue from the adverse impact to our reputation and brand, disruption to our business, and our decreased ability to attract and retain Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, and Carriers.
Previous wording
In certain jurisdictions, we allow consumers to pay for rides and meal or grocery deliveries using cash, which raises numerous regulatory, operational, and safety concerns. If we do not successfully manage those concerns, we could become subject to adverse regulatory actions and suffer reputational harm or other adverse financial and accounting consequences.
Current wording
In certain jurisdictions, we allow consumers to pay for rides and meal or grocery deliveries using cash, which raises regulatory, operational, and safety concerns. If we do not successfully manage those concerns, we could become subject to adverse regulatory actions and suffer reputational harm or other adverse financial and accounting consequences.
Previous wording
In certain jurisdictions, including India, Brazil, and Mexico, as well as certain other countries in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, we allow consumers to use cash to pay Drivers the entire fare of rides and cost of meal deliveries (including our service fee from such rides and meal or grocery deliveries). In 2023, cash-paid trips accounted for approximately 6% of our global Gross Bookings. This percentage may increase in the future, particularly in the markets in which Careem operates. The use of cash in connection with our technology raises numerous regulatory, operational, and safety concerns. For example, many jurisdictions have specific regulations regarding the use of cash for ridesharing and certain jurisdictions prohibit the use of cash for ridesharing. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in the imposition of significant fines and penalties and could result in a regulator requiring that we suspend operations in those jurisdictions. In addition to these regulatory concerns, the use of cash with our Mobility products and Delivery offering can increase safety and security risks for Drivers and riders, including potential robbery, assault, violent or fatal attacks, and other criminal acts. In certain jurisdictions such as Brazil, serious safety incidents resulting in robberies and violent, fatal attacks on Drivers while using our platform have been reported. If we are not able to adequately address any of these concerns, we could suffer significant reputational harm, which could adversely impact our business.
Current wording
In certain jurisdictions, including India, Brazil, and Mexico, as well as certain other countries in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, we allow consumers to use cash to pay Drivers the entire fare of rides and cost of meal deliveries (including our service fee from such rides and meal or grocery deliveries). In 2023, cash-paid trips accounted for approximately 6% of our global Gross Bookings. This percentage may increase in the future, particularly in the markets in which Careem operates. The use of cash in connection with our technology raises regulatory, operational, and safety concerns. For example, many jurisdictions have specific regulations regarding the use of cash for ridesharing and certain jurisdictions prohibit the use of cash for ridesharing. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in the imposition of significant fines and penalties and could result in a regulator requiring that we suspend operations in those jurisdictions. In addition to these regulatory concerns, the use of cash with our Mobility products and Delivery offering can increase safety and security risks for Drivers and riders, including potential robbery, assault, violent or fatal attacks, and other criminal acts. In certain jurisdictions such as Brazil, serious safety incidents resulting in robberies and violent, fatal attacks on Drivers while using our platform have been reported. If we are not able to adequately address any of these concerns, we could suffer significant reputational harm, which could adversely impact our business. Expanding cash payments to additional cities or countries could amplify these risks.
Previous wording
Our growing use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) (including machine learning) in our business and offerings presents additional risks. This technology presents a number of risks inherent in its use. AI algorithms or automated decision-making or processing of data may be flawed and datasets may be insufficient or contain biased information, which can create inaccurate or discriminatory outcomes. AI tools and algorithms may use third-party AI with unclear intellectual property rights or interests. Intellectual property ownership and license rights, including copyright, of generative and other AI output, have not been fully interpreted by courts or regulations. Europe, the United States and other countries are enacting or may consider comprehensive legal compliance frameworks specifically for AI, which is a trend that may increase now that European lawmakers have passed the first such framework, expected to come into effect in 2024. Further, more specific AI-related laws and regulations have been enacted, and are expected to continue to be enacted, around the world. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with such requirements could have an adverse impact on our business. AI use or management by us or others, including certain decisions based (whether partially or solely) on automated processing or profiling, inappropriate or controversial data practices, or insufficient disclosures regarding machine learning and algorithms or AI-generated content, have and could impair the acceptance of AI solutions or subject us to lawsuits, regulatory investigations or other harm, such as negative impacts to the value of our intellectual property or our brand. These and other deficiencies could also undermine the decisions, predictions or analysis AI applications produce, or lead to unintentional bias and discrimination, subjecting us to competitive harm, legal liability, and brand or reputational harm. The rapid evolution of AI may require us to allocate additional resources to help implement AI ethically in order to minimize unintended or harmful impacts, and may also require us to make additional investments in the development of proprietary datasets, machine learning models or other systems, which may be costly.
Current wording
Our growing use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) (including machine learning) in our business and offerings presents additional risks. This technology presents a number of risks inherent in its use. AI algorithms or automated decision-making or processing of data may be flawed and datasets may be insufficient or contain biased information, which can create inaccurate or discriminatory outcomes. AI tools and algorithms may use third-party AI with unclear intellectual property rights or interests. Intellectual property ownership and license rights, including copyright, of generative and other AI output, have not been fully interpreted by courts or regulations. Europe, the United States and other countries are enacting or may consider comprehensive legal compliance frameworks specifically for AI, which is a trend that may increase now that European lawmakers have passed the first such framework, the European Artificial Intelligence Act (“AI Act”), which came into effect in August 2024. Further, more specific AI-related laws and regulations have been enacted, and are expected to continue to be enacted, around the world. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with such requirements could have an adverse impact on our business. AI use or management by us or others, including certain decisions based (whether partially or solely) on automated processing or profiling, inappropriate or controversial data practices, or insufficient disclosures regarding machine learning and algorithms or AI-generated content, have impaired and could impair the acceptance of AI solutions or subject us to lawsuits, regulatory investigations or other harm, such as negative impacts to the value of our intellectual property or our brand. These and other deficiencies could also undermine the decisions, predictions or analysis AI applications produce, or lead to unintentional bias and discrimination, subjecting us to competitive harm, legal liability, and brand or reputational harm. The rapid evolution of AI may require us to allocate additional resources to help implement AI ethically in order to minimize unintended or harmful impacts, and may also require us to make additional investments in the development of proprietary datasets, machine learning models or other systems, which may be costly.
Previous wording
Increased attention to, and evolving expectations regarding, environment, social and governance and sustainability matters may impact our business, reputation and liabilities, including in the context of certain commitments we have made.
Current wording
Increased attention to, and evolving expectations regarding, environment, social and governance and sustainability matters may impact our business, reputation and liabilities, including in the context of certain goals we have announced.
Previous wording
We have taken, and may continue to take, certain environmental and social actions, including the establishment of environmental and social goals or targets, including those that relate to climate change matters. Our ability to meet our environmental and social commitments is dependent on many external factors, including such factors as rapidly changing regulations, governmental or political shifts, policies and related interpretation, advances in technology such as battery storage, as well as the availability, cost and accessibility of EVs to Drivers, and the availability of EV charging infrastructure that can be efficiently accessed by Drivers. We have made certain climate-related commitments, including our commitment to 100% renewable electricity for our U.S. offices by 2025, our commitment to net zero climate emissions from corporate operations by 2030, and our commitment to be a net zero company by 2040, and our commitment to reduce unnecessary packaging waste from deliveries by 2030. In addition, our Supplier Code of Conduct sets environmental standards for our supply chain, and we recognize that there are inherent climate-related risks wherever business is conducted. All our climate change-related goals are intentionally challenging, and are therefore subject to risks, uncertainties, third party information or action, and conditions, many of which are outside of our control. Progressing towards our climate commitments requires us to invest significant effort, resources, and management time, and circumstances may arise, including those beyond our control, that may require us to revise our timelines and/or climate commitments. For example, the pandemic has negatively impacted our ability to dedicate resources to make the progress on our climate commitments that we initially anticipated. There can be no assurances that our commitments will be achieved in the manner we currently intend or at all, and any failure or perceived failure to meet regulatory requirements related to climate change, or to meet our stated climate change commitments (or other environmental and social commitments) on the timeframe we committed to, or at all, could have an adverse impact on our costs and ability to operate, result in litigation, as well as harm our brand, reputation, and consequently, our business.
Current wording
We have taken, and may continue to take, certain environmental and social actions, including the establishment of environmental and social goals, including those that relate to climate change matters. Our ability to meet our environmental and social goals is dependent on many external factors, including such factors as rapidly changing regulations, governmental or political shifts, policies and related interpretation, action from policymakers and the wider auto industry, advances in technology such as battery storage, as well as the availability, cost and accessibility of EVs to Drivers, and the availability of EV charging infrastructure that can be efficiently accessed by Drivers; progress has been made, but without more aggressive action, we cannot achieve all of our goals. We have announced certain climate-related goals, including our goal to use 100% renewable electricity for our U.S. offices by 2025, our goal to have net zero climate emissions from corporate operations by 2030, our goal to be a net zero company by 2040, and our goal to reduce unnecessary packaging waste from deliveries by 2030. In addition, our Supplier Code of Conduct sets environmental standards for our supply chain, and we recognize that there are inherent climate-related risks wherever business is conducted. All our climate change-related goals are intentionally challenging, and are therefore subject to risks, uncertainties, third party information or action, and conditions, many of which are outside of our control. Progressing towards our climate goals requires us to invest significant effort, resources, and management time, and circumstances may arise, including those beyond our control, that may require us to revise our timelines and/or climate goals. For example, the pandemic negatively impacted our ability to dedicate resources to make the progress on our climate goals that we initially anticipated. There can be no assurances that our goals will be achieved in the manner we currently intend or at all, and any failure or perceived failure to meet regulatory requirements related to climate change, or to meet our stated climate change goals (or other environmental and social goals) on the timeframe we announced, or at all, could have an adverse impact on our costs and ability to operate, result in litigation, as well as harm our brand, reputation, and consequently, our business.
Previous wording
Factors such as inflation, increased fuel prices, and increased vehicle purchase, rental, insurance, or maintenance costs, including increased prices of new and used vehicle parts as a result of recent global supply chain challenges, and increased fuel prices as result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, have and may continue to increase the costs incurred by Drivers and Carriers when providing services on our platform. Similarly, factors such as inflation, increased food costs, increased labor and employee benefit costs, increased rental costs, and increased energy costs may increase merchant operating costs, particularly in certain international markets, such as Egypt. Many of the factors affecting Driver, merchant, and Carrier costs are beyond the control of these parties. In many cases, these increased costs may cause Drivers and Carriers to spend less time providing services on our platform or to seek alternative sources of income. Likewise, these increased costs may cause merchants to pass costs on to consumers by increasing prices, which would likely cause order volume to decline, may cause merchants to cease operations altogether, or may cause Carriers to pass costs on to Shippers, which may cause shipments on our platform to decline. A decreased supply of Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, or Carriers on our platform would decrease our network liquidity, which could harm our business and operating results.
Current wording
Factors such as inflation, increased fuel prices, and increased vehicle purchase, rental, insurance, or maintenance costs, including increased prices of new and used vehicle parts as a result of recent global supply chain challenges, and increased fuel prices as result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, have and may continue to increase the costs incurred by Drivers and Carriers when providing services on our platform. Similarly, factors such as inflation, increased food costs, increased labor and employee benefit costs, increased rental costs, and increased energy costs may increase merchant operating costs, particularly in certain international markets, such as Egypt. Many of the factors affecting Driver, merchant, and Carrier costs are beyond the control of these parties. In many cases, these increased costs may cause Drivers and Carriers to spend less time providing services on our platform or to seek alternative sources of income. Likewise, these increased costs may cause merchants to pass costs on to consumers by increasing prices, which would likely cause order volume to decline, may cause merchants to cease operations altogether, or may cause Carriers to pass costs on to Shippers, which may cause shipments on our platform to decline. A decreased supply of Drivers, consumers, merchants, Shippers, or Carriers on our platform would decrease our network liquidity, which could harm our business and operating results.
Previous wording
As of June 30, 2024, we had total outstanding indebtedness of $9.5 billion aggregate principal amount. In addition, up to approximately $128 million of Careem Convertible Notes remain subject to future issuance to Careem stockholders as of June 30, 2024. Subject to the limitations in the terms of our existing and future indebtedness, we and our subsidiaries may incur additional debt, secure existing or future debt, or refinance our debt. In particular, we may need to incur additional debt to finance the purchase of autonomous vehicles, and such financing may not be available to us on attractive terms or at all.
Current wording
As of September 30, 2024, we had total outstanding indebtedness of $11.6 billion aggregate principal amount. In addition, up to approximately $128 million of Careem Convertible Notes remain subject to future issuance to Careem stockholders as of September 30, 2024. Subject to the limitations in the terms of our existing and future indebtedness, we and our subsidiaries may incur additional debt, secure existing or future debt, or refinance our debt. In particular, we may need to incur additional debt to finance the purchase of autonomous vehicles, and such financing may not be available to us on attractive terms or at all.
Previous wording
In certain jurisdictions, we are subject to national, state, local, or municipal laws and regulations that are ambiguous in their application or enforcement or that we believe are invalid or inapplicable. In such jurisdictions, we may be subject to regulatory fines and proceedings and, in certain cases, may be required to cease operations altogether if we continue to operate our business as currently conducted, unless and until such laws and regulations are reformed to clarify that our business operations are fully compliant. For example, in September 2020, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal issued a ruling against a group of drivers who used the Uber app, concluding that by driving for hire without a Hire Car Permit, they violated the local Road Traffic Ordinance. A judicial review process is pending. However, these developments may adversely affect our ability to offer ridesharing services and negatively impact our financial performance in Hong Kong. As another example, in January 2020, we ceased offering our Mobility products in Colombia after a Colombian court ruled that we violated local competition laws. In response, we appealed the decision, made certain changes to our Mobility products in Colombia and re-launched Mobility in Colombia in February 2020, and in June 2020, the Appeals Court of Bogota revoked its order to block Mobility products in Colombia. Furthermore, in certain of these jurisdictions, we continue to provide our products and offerings while we assess the applicability of these laws and regulations to our products and offerings or while we seek regulatory or policy changes to address concerns with respect to our ability to comply with these laws and regulations. Our decision to continue operating in these instances has come under investigation or has otherwise been subject to scrutiny by government authorities. Our continuation of this practice and other past practices may result in fines or other penalties against us and Drivers imposed by local regulators, potentially increasing the risk that our licenses or permits that are necessary to operate in such jurisdictions will not be renewed. Such fines and penalties have in the past been, and may in the future continue to be, imposed solely on Drivers, which may cause Drivers to stop providing services on our platform. In many instances, we make the business decision as a gesture of goodwill to pay the fines on behalf of Drivers or to pay Drivers’ defense costs, which, in the aggregate, can be in the millions of dollars. Furthermore, such business practices may also result in negative press coverage, which may discourage Drivers and consumers from using our platform and could adversely affect our revenue. In addition, we face regulatory obstacles, including those lobbied for by our competitors or from local governments globally, that have favored and may continue to favor local or incumbent competitors, including obstacles for potential Drivers seeking to obtain required lice…
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Current wording
In certain jurisdictions, we are subject to national, state, local, or municipal laws and regulations that are ambiguous in their application or enforcement or that we believe are invalid or inapplicable. In such jurisdictions, we may be subject to regulatory fines and proceedings and, in certain cases, may be required to cease operations altogether if we continue to operate our business as currently conducted, unless and until such laws and regulations are reformed to clarify that our business operations are fully compliant or such laws and regulations are determined to be invalid or inapplicable. For example, in September 2020, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal issued a ruling against a group of drivers who used the Uber app, concluding that by driving for hire without a Hire Car Permit, they violated the local Road Traffic Ordinance. A judicial review process is pending. However, these developments may adversely affect our ability to offer ridesharing services and negatively impact our financial performance in Hong Kong. As another example, in January 2020, we ceased offering our Mobility products in Colombia after a Colombian court ruled that we violated local competition laws. In response, we appealed the decision, made certain changes to our Mobility products in Colombia and re-launched Mobility in Colombia in February 2020, and in June 2020, the Appeals Court of Bogota revoked its order to block Mobility products in Colombia. Furthermore, in certain of these jurisdictions, we continue to provide our products and offerings while we assess the applicability of these laws and regulations to our products and offerings or while we seek judicial, regulatory or policy changes to address concerns with respect to our ability to comply with these laws and regulations. Our decision to continue operating in these instances has come under investigation or has otherwise been subject to scrutiny by government authorities. Our continuation of this practice and other past practices may result in fines or other penalties against us and Drivers imposed by local regulators, potentially increasing the risk that our licenses or permits that are necessary to operate in such jurisdictions will not be renewed. Such fines and penalties have in the past been, and may in the future continue to be, imposed solely on Drivers, which may cause Drivers to stop providing services on our platform. In many instances, we make the business decision as a gesture of goodwill to pay the fines on behalf of Drivers or to pay Drivers’ defense costs, which, in the aggregate, can be in the millions of dollars. Furthermore, such business practices may also result in negative press coverage, which may discourage Drivers and consumers from using our platform and could adversely affect our revenue. In addition, we face regulatory obstacles, including those lobbied for by our competitors or from local governments globally, that have favored and may continue to favor local or incumbent co…
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Previous wording
In addition, we are currently involved in litigation in a number of the jurisdictions in which we operate. We initiated some of these legal challenges to contest the application of certain laws and regulations to our business. Others have been brought by taxicab owners, local regulators, local law enforcement, and platform users, including Drivers and consumers. These include individual, multiple plaintiff, and putative class and class action claims for alleged violation of laws related to, among other things, transportation, competition, advertising, consumer protection, fee calculations, personal injuries, privacy, intellectual property, product liability, discrimination, safety, and employment. For example, in May 2019, a class action was filed against us and certain of our subsidiaries in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia on behalf of participants in the taxi, hire-car, limousine, and charter vehicle industry who were licensed to operate in particular regions of Australia during certain periods between April 2014 and August 2017. The class action alleges that we operated unlawfully in such regions during such periods. The class action was settled in principle with no admission of liability by Uber. These legislative and regulatory proceedings, allegations, and lawsuits are expensive and time consuming to defend, and, if resolved adversely to us, could result in financial damages or penalties, including criminal penalties, incarceration, and sanctions for individuals employed by us or parties with whom we contract, which could harm our ability to operate our business as planned in one or more of the jurisdictions in which we operate, which could adversely affect our business, revenue, and operating results.
Current wording
In addition, we are currently involved in litigation in a number of the jurisdictions in which we operate. We initiated some of these legal challenges to contest the application of certain laws and regulations to our business. Others have been brought by taxicab owners, local regulators, local law enforcement, and platform users, including Drivers and consumers. These include individual, multiple plaintiff, and putative class and class action claims for alleged violation of laws related to, among other things, transportation, competition, advertising, consumer protection, fee calculations, personal injuries, privacy, intellectual property, product liability, discrimination, safety, and employment. For example, in May 2019, a class action was filed against us and certain of our subsidiaries in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia on behalf of participants in the taxi, hire-car, limousine, and charter vehicle industry who were licensed to operate in particular regions of Australia during certain periods between April 2014 and August 2017. The class action alleges that we operated unlawfully in such regions during such periods. The class action was settled in principle with no admission of liability by Uber. In September 2024, a constitutional reform to the judiciary in Mexico was approved; secondary regulations are still pending, which are needed to assess the legal impact on our operations in Mexico. These legislative and regulatory proceedings, allegations, and lawsuits are expensive and time consuming to defend, and, if resolved adversely to us, could result in financial damages or penalties, including criminal penalties, incarceration, and sanctions for individuals employed by us or parties with whom we contract, which could harm our ability to operate our business as planned in one or more of the jurisdictions in which we operate, which could adversely affect our business, revenue, and operating results.
Previous wording
In addition, laws related to money transmission and online payments are evolving, and changes in such laws could affect our ability to provide payment processing on our platform in the same form and on the same terms as we have historically, or at all. For example, changes to our business in Europe, combined with changes to the EU Payment Services Directive, caused aspects of our payment operations in the EEA to fall within the scope of European payments regulation. As a result, one of our subsidiaries, Uber
Current wording
In addition, laws related to money transmission and online payments are evolving, and changes in such laws could affect our ability to provide payment processing on our platform in the same form and on the same terms as we have historically, or at all. For example, changes to our business in Europe, combined with changes to the EU Payment Services Directive, caused aspects of our payment operations in the EEA to fall within the scope of European payments regulation. As a result, one of our subsidiaries, Uber Payments B.V., is directly subject to financial services regulations (including those relating to anti-money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctioned or prohibited persons) in the Netherlands and in other countries in the EEA where it conducts business. Effective July 1, 2020, we transitioned all our payment operations to the Uber Payments B.V. regulated entity in the EEA countries in which we are required to do so by the European payments regulations.
Previous wording
These government inquiries and investigations are time-consuming and require a great deal of financial resources and attention from us and our senior management. If any of these matters are resolved adversely to us, we may be subject to additional fines, penalties, and other sanctions, and could be forced to change our business practices substantially in the relevant jurisdictions. Any such determinations could also result in significant adverse publicity or additional reputational harm, and could result in or complicate other inquiries, investigations, or lawsuits from other regulators in future merger control or conduct investigations. Any of these developments could result in material financial damages, operational restrictions, and harm our business.
Current wording
These government inquiries and investigations are time-consuming and require a great deal of financial resources and attention from us and our senior management. If any of these matters are resolved adversely to us, we may be subject to additional fines, penalties, and other sanctions, and could be forced to change our business practices substantially in the relevant jurisdictions. Any such determinations could also result in significant adverse publicity or additional reputational harm, and could result in or complicate other inquiries, investigations, or lawsuits from other regulators in future merger control or conduct investigations. Any of these developments could result in material financial damages or operational restrictions, and harm our business.
Previous wording
The nature of our business exposes us to claims, including civil lawsuits in the United States such as those related to the 2016 Breach. These and any past or future privacy or security incidents could result in violation of applicable U.S. and international privacy, data protection, and other laws. Such violations subject us to individual or consumer class action litigation as well as governmental investigations and proceedings by federal, state, and local regulatory entities in the United States and internationally, resulting in exposure to material civil or criminal liability. Our data security and privacy practices have been the subject of inquiries from government agencies and regulators, not all of which are finally resolved. In April 2018, we entered into an FTC consent decree pursuant to which we agreed, among other things, to implement a comprehensive privacy program, undergo biennial third-party assessments, and not misrepresent how we protect consumer information through 2038. In October 2018, the FTC approved the final settlement, which exposes us to penalties for, amongst other activities, future failure to report security incidents. In November and December 2018, UK, Dutch and French supervisory authorities imposed fines totaling approximately $1.6 million. We have also entered into settlement agreements with numerous state enforcement agencies. For example, in January 2016, we entered into a settlement with the Office of the New York State Attorney General under which we agreed to enhance our data security practices. In addition, in September 2018, we entered into stipulated judgments with the state attorneys general of all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia relating to the 2016 Breach, which involved payment of $148 million and assurances that we would enhance our data security and privacy practices. In addition, in March 2022, Uber Technologies, Inc. and Uber B.V. were each fined €2.12 million by the Italian data protection authority for alleged privacy violations stemming from an investigation conducted in 2018. Additionally, in July 2022, we entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the DOJ concerning its investigation into our handling of the 2016 Breach. Failure to comply with these and other orders could result in substantial fines, enforcement actions, injunctive relief, and other penalties that may be costly or that may impact our business. We may also assume liabilities for breaches experienced by the companies we acquire as we expand our operations. For example, in April 2018, Careem publicly disclosed and notified relevant regulatory authorities that it had been subject to a data security incident that allowed access to certain personal information of riders and drivers on its platform as of January 14, 2018. If Careem becomes subject to liability as a result of this or other data security incidents or if we fail to remediate this or any other data security incident that Careem or we experience, we may face…
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Current wording
FTC approved the final settlement, which exposes us to penalties for, amongst other activities, future failure to report security incidents. In November and December 2018, UK, Dutch and French supervisory authorities imposed fines totaling approximately $1.6 million. We have also entered into settlement agreements with numerous state enforcement agencies. For example, in January 2016, we entered into a settlement with the Office of the New York State Attorney General under which we agreed to enhance our data security practices. In addition, in September 2018, we entered into stipulated judgments with the state attorneys general of all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia relating to the 2016 Breach, which involved payment of $148 million and assurances that we would enhance our data security and privacy practices. In addition, in March 2022, Uber Technologies, Inc. and Uber B.V. were each fined €2.12 million by the Italian data protection authority for alleged privacy violations stemming from an investigation conducted in 2018. Additionally, in July 2022, we entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the DOJ concerning its investigation into our handling of the 2016 Breach. Failure to comply with these and other orders could result in substantial fines, enforcement actions, injunctive relief, and other penalties that may be costly or that may impact our business. We may also assume liabilities for breaches experienced by the companies we acquire as we expand our operations. For example, in April 2018, Careem publicly disclosed and notified relevant regulatory authorities that it had been subject to a data security incident that allowed access to certain personal information of riders and drivers on its platform as of January 14, 2018. If Careem becomes subject to liability as a result of this or other data security incidents or if we fail to remediate this or any other data security incident that Careem or we experience, we may face harm to our brand, business disruption, and significant liabilities. In addition, in July 2020, Drizly publicly disclosed that it had been subject to a data security incident that allowed access to certain personal information of customers on its platform, and in November 2021 Drizly obtained final court approval of a settlement in a resulting class action litigation. Moreover, in January 2023, the FTC announced a final order relating to the data security incident. If we fail to remediate any other data security incident that we experience, we may face harm to our brand, business disruption, and significant liabilities. Our insurance programs may not cover all potential claims to which we are exposed and may not be adequate to indemnify us for the full extent of our potential liabilities. We may also be impacted by privacy or security incidents at third-party service providers. We rely on third-party service providers to host or otherwise process some of our data and that of platform users, and they have exp…
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Previous wording
This risk is enhanced in certain jurisdictions with stringent privacy laws and, as we expand our products, offerings, and operations domestically and internationally, we have, and may continue to become subject to amended or additional laws that impose substantial additional obligations related to data privacy and security. The EU adopted the GDPR in 2016, and it became effective in May 2018. The GDPR applies extraterritorially and imposes stringent requirements for controllers and processors of personal data. Such requirements include higher consent standards to process personal data, robust disclosures regarding the use of personal data, strengthened individual data rights, data breach requirements, limitations on data retention, strengthened requirements for special categories of personal data and pseudonymised (i.e., key-coded) data, and additional obligations for contracting with service providers that may process personal data. In addition, the GDPR contains a provision that individuals shall have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning them or similarly significantly affects them. Decisions by us based on AI or automated processing of data, or insufficient disclosures regarding this processing, have and could impair our business and have and could subject us to lawsuits, regulatory investigations or other harm. The GDPR further provides that EU member states may institute additional laws and regulations impacting the processing of personal data, including (i) special categories of personal data (e.g., racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, and religious or philosophical beliefs) and (ii) certain decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling. Such additional laws and regulations could limit our ability to use and share personal or other data, thereby increasing our costs and harming our business and financial condition. Non-compliance with the GDPR (including any non-compliance by any acquired business) is subject to significant penalties, including fines of up to the greater of €20 million or 4% of total worldwide revenue, and injunctions against the processing of personal data. Other jurisdictions outside the EU are similarly introducing or enhancing privacy and data security laws, rules, and regulations, including for automated processing, decision making, and profiling, which will increase our compliance costs and the risks associated with non-compliance. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which provided new privacy rights for consumers and new operational requirements for businesses, went into effect in January 2020. The CCPA includes a statutory damages framework and private rights of action against businesses that fail to comply with certain CCPA terms or implement reasonable security procedures and practices to prevent data breaches. Other U.S. states have adopted, and likely will c…
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Current wording
This risk is enhanced in certain jurisdictions with stringent privacy laws and, as we expand our products, offerings, and operations domestically and internationally, we have been, and may continue to become, subject to amended or additional laws that impose substantial additional obligations related to data privacy and security. The EU adopted the GDPR in 2016, and it became effective in May 2018. The GDPR applies extraterritorially and imposes stringent requirements for controllers and processors of personal data. Such requirements include higher consent standards to process personal data, robust disclosures regarding the use of personal data, strengthened individual data rights, data breach requirements, limitations on data retention, strengthened requirements for special categories of personal data and pseudonymised (i.e., key-coded) data, and additional obligations for contracting with service providers that may process personal data. In addition, the GDPR contains a provision that individuals shall have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning them or similarly significantly affects them. Decisions based on AI or on automated processing of data, or insufficient disclosures regarding this processing, have and could impair our business and have and could subject us to lawsuits, regulatory investigations or other harm. The GDPR further provides that EU member states may institute additional laws and regulations impacting the processing of personal data, including (i) special categories of personal data (e.g., racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, and religious or philosophical beliefs) and (ii) certain decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling. Such additional laws and regulations could limit our ability to use and share personal or other data, thereby increasing our costs and harming our business and financial condition. Non-compliance with the GDPR (including any non-compliance by any acquired business) is subject to significant penalties, including fines of up to the greater of €20 million or 4% of total worldwide revenue, and injunctions against the processing of personal data. Other jurisdictions outside the EU are similarly introducing or enhancing privacy and data security laws, rules, and regulations, including for automated processing, decision making, and profiling, which will increase our compliance costs and the risks associated with non-compliance. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which provided new privacy rights for consumers and new operational requirements for businesses, went into effect in January 2020. The CCPA includes a statutory damages framework and private rights of action against businesses that fail to comply with certain CCPA terms or implement reasonable security procedures and practices to prevent data breaches. Other U.S. states have adopted, and likely wil…
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Previous wording
Additionally, we are subject to laws, rules, and regulations regarding cross-border transfers of personal data, including laws relating to transfer of personal data outside the EEA. We rely on transfer mechanisms permitted under these laws. Such mechanisms have received heightened regulatory and judicial scrutiny and have undergone modifications, and a 2020 decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union had cast doubt on the adequacy of all of the formerly-approved mechanisms for transferring personal data from countries in the EEA to certain other countries such as the United States. While in July 2023 the European Commission deemed a new EU-US Data Privacy Framework adequate for personal data transfers from the EU (and the rest of the EEA) to the US, this Framework has been challenged. If we cannot rely on existing mechanisms for transferring personal data from the EEA, the United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions, we may be unable to transfer personal data of Drivers, consumers, or employees in those regions, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results, and result in substantial fines, enforcement actions, litigation, injunctive relief, and other penalties that may be costly or that may impact our business. In addition, we may be required to disclose personal data pursuant to demands from government agencies, including from state and city regulators as a requirement for obtaining or maintaining a license or otherwise, from law enforcement agencies, and from intelligence agencies. This disclosure or potential disclosure may result in a failure or perceived failure by us to comply with privacy and data protection policies, notices, laws, rules, and regulations, could result in proceedings or actions against us in the same or other jurisdictions, and could have an adverse impact on our reputation and brand. In addition, Careem has historically shared certain user data with certain government authorities, which conflicts with our global policies regarding data use, sharing, and ownership. We expect to maintain our data use, sharing, and ownership practices for both our business and Careem’s business, and doing so may cause our relationship with government authorities in certain jurisdictions to suffer, and may result in such government authorities assessing fines or penalties against us. Further, if any jurisdiction in which we operate changes its laws, rules, or regulations relating to data residency or local computation such that we are unable to comply in a timely manner or at all, we may risk losing our rights to operate in such jurisdictions. This could adversely affect the manner in which we provide our products and offerings and thus materially affect our operations and financial results.
Current wording
Additionally, we are subject to laws, rules, and regulations regarding cross-border transfers of personal data, including laws relating to transfer of personal data outside the EEA. We rely on transfer mechanisms permitted under these laws. Such mechanisms have received heightened regulatory and judicial scrutiny and have undergone modifications, and a 2020 decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union had cast doubt on the adequacy of all of the formerly-approved mechanisms for transferring personal data from countries in the EEA to certain other countries such as the United States. While in July 2023 the European Commission deemed a new EU-US Data Privacy Framework adequate for personal data transfers from the EU (and the rest of the EEA) to the US, this Framework has been challenged. If we cannot rely on existing mechanisms for transferring personal data from the EEA, the United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions, we may be unable to transfer personal data of Drivers, consumers, or employees in those regions, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results, and has resulted in and may result in substantial fines, enforcement actions, litigation, injunctive relief, and other penalties that may be costly or that may impact our business. In addition, we may be required to disclose personal data pursuant to demands from government agencies, including from state and city regulators as a requirement for obtaining or maintaining a license or otherwise, from law enforcement agencies, and from intelligence agencies. This disclosure or potential disclosure may result in a failure or perceived failure by us to comply with privacy and data protection policies, notices, laws, rules, and regulations, could result in proceedings or actions against us in the same or other jurisdictions, and could have an adverse impact on our reputation and brand. In addition, Careem has historically shared certain user data with certain government authorities, which conflicts with our global policies regarding data use, sharing, and ownership. We expect to maintain our data use, sharing, and ownership practices for both our business and Careem’s business, and doing so may cause our relationship with government authorities in certain jurisdictions to suffer, and may result in such government authorities assessing fines or penalties against us. Further, if any jurisdiction in which we operate changes its laws, rules, or regulations relating to data residency or local computation such that we are unable to comply in a timely manner or at all, we may risk losing our rights to operate in such jurisdictions. This could adversely affect the manner in which we provide our products and offerings and thus materially affect our operations and financial results.
Previous wording
We use a combination of third-party insurance and self-insurance mechanisms, including a wholly-owned captive insurance subsidiary. Insurance related to our Mobility products may include third-party automobile, automobile comprehensive and collision, physical damage, and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. We require Drivers to carry automobile insurance in most countries, and in many cases we also maintain insurance on behalf of Drivers. We rely on a limited number of ridesharing insurance providers, particularly internationally, and should such providers discontinue or increase the cost of coverage, we cannot guarantee that we would be able to secure replacement coverage on reasonable terms or at all. In addition to insurance related to our products, we maintain other automobile insurance coverage for owned vehicles and employee activity, as well as insurance coverage for non-automotive corporate risks including general liability, workers’ compensation, property, cyber liability, and director and officers’ liability. If our insurance carriers change the terms of our policies in a manner unfavorable to us or Drivers, our insurance costs could increase. The cost of insurance that we maintain on behalf of Drivers is higher in the United States and Canada than in other geographies. Further, if the insurance coverage we maintain is not adequate to cover losses that occur, we could be liable for significant additional costs.
Current wording
We use a combination of third-party insurance and self-insurance mechanisms, including a wholly-owned captive insurance subsidiary. Insurance related to our Mobility products may include third-party automobile, automobile comprehensive and collision, physical damage, and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. We require Drivers to carry automobile insurance in most countries, and in many cases we also maintain insurance on behalf of Drivers. We rely on a limited number of ridesharing insurance providers, and should such providers discontinue or increase the cost of coverage, we cannot guarantee that we would be able to secure replacement coverage on reasonable terms or at all. In addition to insurance related to our products, we maintain other automobile insurance coverage for owned vehicles and employee activity, as well as insurance coverage for non-automotive corporate risks including general liability, workers’ compensation, property, cyber liability, and director and officers’ liability. If our insurance carriers change the terms of our policies in a manner unfavorable to us or Drivers, our insurance costs could increase. The cost of insurance that we maintain on behalf of Drivers is higher in the United States and Canada than in other geographies. Further, if the insurance coverage we maintain is not adequate to cover losses that occur, we could be liable for significant additional costs.
Previous wording
In addition, we and our captive insurance subsidiary are party to certain reinsurance and indemnification arrangements that transfer a significant portion of the risk from the insurance provider to us or our captive insurance subsidiary, which could require us to pay out material amounts that may be in excess of our insurance reserves, including as a result of adverse legal proceedings, resulting in harm to our financial condition. Our insurance reserves account for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses for risks retained by us through our captive insurance subsidiary and other risk retention mechanisms. Such amounts are based on actuarial estimates, historical claim information, and industry data. While management believes that these reserve amounts are adequate, the ultimate liability could be in excess of our reserves. We also have requirements to post collateral for current and future claim settlement obligations with certain of our insurance carriers, which may have a significant impact on our unrestricted cash and cash equivalents available for general business purposes.
Current wording
In addition, we and our captive insurance subsidiary are party to certain reinsurance and indemnification arrangements that transfer a significant portion of the risk from the insurance provider to us or our captive insurance subsidiary, which could require us to pay out material amounts that may be in excess of our insurance reserves, including as a result of adverse legal proceedings, resulting in harm to our financial condition. Our insurance reserves include amounts for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses for risks retained by us through our captive insurance subsidiary and other risk retention mechanisms. Such amounts are based on actuarial estimates, historical claim information, and industry data. While management believes that these reserve amounts are adequate, the ultimate liability could be in excess of our reserves. Insurance recoverables are recognized when we have entered into contracts which transfer risk recorded in our insurance reserves to third party insurance companies. We also have requirements to post collateral for current and future claim settlement obligations with certain of our insurance carriers, which may have a significant impact on our unrestricted cash and cash equivalents available for general business purposes.
Previous wording
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and, to the extent enforceable, the federal district courts of the United States of America are the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.
Current wording
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and, to the extent enforceable, the federal district courts of the United States of America are the exclusive forums for substantially all
Rearranged current paragraphs (2)
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
To the extent that efforts to block or limit our operations are successful, or we or Drivers are required to comply with regulatory and other requirements applicable to taxicab and car services, our revenue and growth would be adversely affected.
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
The nature of our business exposes us to claims, including civil lawsuits in the United States such as those related to the 2016 Breach. These and any past or future privacy or security incidents could result in violation of applicable U.S. and international privacy, data protection, and other laws. Such violations subject us to individual or consumer class action litigation as well as governmental investigations and proceedings by federal, state, and local regulatory entities in the United States and internationally, resulting in exposure to material civil or criminal liability. Our data security and privacy practices have been the subject of inquiries from government agencies and regulators, not all of which are finally resolved. In April 2018, we entered into an FTC consent decree pursuant to which we agreed, among other things, to implement a comprehensive privacy program, undergo biennial third-party assessments, and not misrepresent how we protect consumer information through 2038. In October 2018, the
Rearranged previous paragraphs (1)
Previous report — wording carried elsewhere
Payments B.V., is directly subject to financial services regulations (including those relating to anti-money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctioned or prohibited persons) in the Netherlands and in other countries in the EEA where it conducts business. Effective July 1, 2020, we transitioned all our payment operations to the Uber Payments B.V. regulated entity in the EEA countries in which we are required to do so by the European payments regulations.