Leaked documents show Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER) allegedly lobbied officials to drop investigations as part of a range of methods to establish itself in a number of countries.
The ride app also used a "kill switch" to evade law enforcement and channelled money through Bermuda and other tax havens, according to the allegations..
In a report published by the Guardian, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) reviewed more than 124,000 documents to uncover "ethically questionable practices" behind the ride-hailing company's transformation.
The newspaper leaked the files to ICIJ, a non-profit network of investigative journalists, which has dubbed its report 'Uber Files'.
The consortium said Uber sought to skirt taxi regulations as it expanded its operations..
Jill Hazelbaker, Uber spokesperson, acknowledged "mistakes" in the past in a written statement, and said chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi had been tasked with "transforming every aspect of how Uber operates".
"When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90% of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO," Hazelbaker said.
The ICIJ report details the company's extraordinary efforts to establish itself in nearly 30 countries.
Former aides to President Obama, among others, allegedly lobbied government officials to end investigations into the company, reform labour and taxi laws, and loosen background checks on drivers, according to the papers.
During the investigation, Uber was found to have used "stealth technology" to fend off government investigations, with the company allegedly having a "kill switch" that cut access to its servers and prevented authorities from grabbing evidence during raids in at least six countries.
According to the Uber Files team, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick personally ordered the kill switch for an Amsterdam police raid.
The ICIJ team also allege the tech giant sent profits through Bermuda and other tax havens to cut its tax bill by millions of dollars, then "sought to deflect attention from its tax liabilities by helping authorities collect taxes from its drivers".