U.S. Department of Justice officials talked to city staff last week about including Austin in a criminal investigation of Uber.
The ride-hailing company is under scrutiny for using software that helped drivers evade authorities in cities like Austin where its service is either banned or restricted. Uber is accused of mining app users’ accounts to determine if the user is working for the local government.
City spokesman David Green told KUT's Audrey McGlinchy that the DOJ hasn't asked the city to turn over any documents or data, but that he anticipates subpoenas will be forthcoming.
Austin voters soundly defeated a proposition last year that would have repealed a city ordinance requiring fingerprint background checks for Uber drivers. The defeat drove Uber and its counterpart Lyft out of the city.
