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TECHNOLOGY Monday 22 May 2017

Uber threatens to fire key exec in self-driving car dispute

MICHAEL LIEDTKE his rights under the Fifth
AP Technology Writer Amendment since Waymo
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — filed its lawsuit in February .
Uber is threatening to fire But Uber is warning Levan-
a key executive accused dowski that he may lose his
of stealing self-driving car job unless he waives those
technology from a Google rights and reveals whether
spin-off unless he waives his he took any Waymo docu-
constitutional right against ments. The San Francisco
self-incrimination so the company made the threat
ride-hailing service can in a May 15 letter that be-
comply with a court order. came public in a court fil-
The development raises ing late Thursday.
the possibility that Uber Any admission by Levan-
may end up dumping dowski that he possesses
Anthony Levandowski, the Waymo documents
whose expertise in robot- could embroil him in even
controlled cars is the main deeper legal trouble.
reason that the ride-hailing That’s because Waymo’s
company bought Levan- allegations in the civil case
dowski’s startup for $680 have been referred to the
million nine months ago. U.S. Attorney’s office in San
Until last month, Levan- Francisco for a potential In this Dec. 13, 2016, file photo, Anthony Levandowski, head of Uber’s self-driving program, speaks
dowski had been running criminal investigation un- about their driverless car in San Francisco.
Uber’s self-driving car divi- der an unusual order issued Associated Press
sion. Although he no longer last week by U.S. District
is doing that, he remains a Judge William Alsup. alluded to Alsup’s stern In a filing, Levandowski’s wrote.Waymo’s lawsuit
vital part of Uber’s effort to Uber had been standing language in its explain- attorneys argued that it’s already has handcuffed
develop a fleet of robot by Levandowski’s right ing its change of heart to unconstitutional for a judge Levandowski. The case
cars so its service eventu- use his Fifth Amendment Levandowski.“While we to strong-arm an employer prompted Levandowski
ally will no longer have protections until last week have respected your per- into pressuring a worker to to temporarily step aside
to rely on people to pick when Alsup issued another sonal liberties, it is our view give up his Fifth Amend- as Uber’s top self-driving
up passengers.Waymo, a decision requiring the com- that the court’s order re- ment rights to remain on car executive and avoid
self-driving car company pany to return any docu- quires us to make these the job.“It is an act by the working on anything re-
started by Google, alleges ments belonging to Way- demands of you,” Uber’s judicial branch of our fed- lated to lidar, an array of
Levandowski downloaded mo by May 31.Alsup wrote general counsel, Salle Yoo, eral government compel- sensors that enables au-
14,000 documents con- that “in complying with this wrote in the letter.Levan- ling an individual to choose tonomous vehicles to navi-
taining its trade secrets be- order, Uber has no excuse dowski is fighting back by between preserving his gate the roads.Alsup has
fore he founded the start- under the Fifth Amend- trying to persuade Alsup to livelihood and preserving ordered Uber to ensure its
up that he sold to Uber. ment to pull any punches revise his order to protect his constitutional rights,” work on lidar remains off
Levandowski has asserted as to Levandowski.”Uber his Fifth Amendment rights. Levandowski’s lawyers limits to Levandowski.q

Twitter leader laments social

media role in Trump’s election

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — rise is “a very bad thing.” The 45-year-old Silicon
A co-founder of Twitter The president has cred- Valley entrepreneur also
says he’s sorry if the pop- ited Twitter with his elec- said the internet is obvi-
ular social media plat- tion to the highest office ously broken because it
form helped put Don- in the land. rewards extremes.
ald Trump in the White When confronted with Williams also says he was
House, as the president that notion, Williams wrong thinking that the
has suggested. said: world would be a bet-
In an interview with The “If it’s true that he ter place if there was a In this Sept. 14, 2010 file photo, then Twitter CEO Evan Wil-
New York Times, Evan wouldn’t be president platform for everyone liams speaks at the company’s headquarters in San Fran-
Williams says Twitter’s if it weren’t for Twitter, to freely speak and ex- cisco.
role in Trump’s populist then yeah, I’m sorry.” change ideas.q Associated Press