According to lawyers, Uber’s tech executives are allegedly on a mission to dismantle a rival taxi app.

Lawyers allege that Uber’s “tech bros” deliberately aimed to dismantle an Australian taxi app by entering the nation’s hire car market and launching an illegal rideshare service. Taxi Apps, the entity behind the GoCatch app, is suing Uber in the Supreme Court of Victoria, claiming that the rideshare behemoth knowingly introduced UberX unlawfully in Australia with the intent to harm GoCatch. Additionally, the company has accused Uber of serious misconduct, including corporate espionage and hacking competitor systems. Barrister Michael Hodge KC recently presented internal Uber emails that purportedly demonstrate the company’s efforts to obstruct New South Wales (NSW) authorities’ attempts to halt their unlawful activities. Following an issuance of a warrant by the now-defunct NSW Roads and Maritime Services at Uber’s Sydney office for non-compliance with passenger transport regulations, staffer Zac de Kievit, now a Melbourne barrister, reportedly informed colleagues that “we have flicked the kill switch,” as stated by Hodge. Subsequently, the rideshare giant allegedly attempted to withhold the requested documents from the agency, opting instead to prolong the process and exploring the possibility of invoking privacy laws in their defense, even though it remained unclear if such laws were applicable.