Apple’s Cook Scolds Uber’s Kalanick Over Unsanctioned iPhone Tracking

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has earned the unpleasant reputation of being a callous, rampaging bull in a glass store within the tech industry. Both the startup and its founder have been embroiled in scandal after scandal, from sexual harassment accusations to butting heads with the Department of Motor Vehicles. It was recently revealed that Kalanick faced off with Apple boss Tim Cook who told him off for tracking iPhones in violation of official policies.

In a recent piece looking at the Uber founder’s career, The New York Times provides a detailed look into the path that made Kalanick what he is today. The article also revealed how, in 2015, the two titans clashed with one side losing.

Cook apparently called Kalanick over to discuss the rather inappropriate method employed by Uber to track iPhones that had already been wiped, which included the elimination of its app. This allowed them to keep tabs on these devices without Apple’s knowledge. It was a tactic that was bound to be discovered sooner or later and discovered it was.

During the meeting, which occurred in Cook’s office, sources say that Kalanick came out of the incident shaken. He was forced to accede to Apple’s demand to cease its practice of tracking wiped iPhones or face consequences that could effectively ruin Uber.

Shortly after these details were revealed, the cab-hailing firm released a statement defending its decision to commit such an unsavory method. According to Uber, tracking wiped iPhones was a means of preventing fraud and that it was a practice that was common within the tech industry, TechCrunch reports.

“As the New York Times story notes towards the very end, this is a typical way to prevent fraudsters from loading Uber onto a stolen phone, putting in a stolen credit card, taking an expensive ride and then wiping the phone—over and over again,” the statement reads.