The ride-sharing company Uber has confirmed it once had technology to shield company data when law enforcement raided offices outside the US.
Uber says this tool, no longer in use, could lock computers and smartphones and change passwords remotely from the company's headquarters in San Francisco.
Bloomberg reported that Uber used the tool, known as Ripley, from spring 2015 until late 2016 in several cities.
Bloomberg says some Uber employees felt the Ripley system hindered legitimate investigations, while some people believed its use was justified when police didn't come with warrants or specific-enough data requests.
The use of this tool raises questions for Uber because the company has in the past used a phoney version of its app to thwart authorities attempting to collect evidence of local lawbreaking.
