Teaching Note: Driven by data, derailed by culture: ethical decision-making at Uber after the 2016 data breach

In 2016, two hackers accessed Uber’s cloud-based repository and downloaded over 57 million usernames along with email addresses, mobile phone numbers and driver’s license numbers. The hackers demanded a ransom in exchange for the data (Wong, 2017; Wright, 2022). At the time of the ransom demand, Uber was still under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for a 2014 data breach. Uber’s chief security officer (CSO), Joe Sullivan, was responsible for handling Uber’s response.

Uber’s culture at this time valued competitiveness, risk-taking and growth at any cost. Many examples are provided showing how Uber’s culture impacted decision-making...