Uber whistleblower Susan Fowler on sexism scandal: ‘Truth will always win’

The former Uber engineer has responded to the investigation results.
By
Karissa Bell
 on 
Uber whistleblower Susan Fowler on sexism scandal: ‘Truth will always win’
The Uber engineer's whose blog post started it all has a simple message: "the ruth will always win." Credit: AP/REX/Shutterstock

The former Uber engineer whose shocking account of her experience of sexism and harassment at the company has a message for other would-be whistleblowers.

Susan Fowler, who has maintained a relatively low public profile since publishing the blog post that inspired #DeleteUber and kicked off the weeks-long investigation that today resulted in CEO Travis Kalanick's leave of absence, shared an inspiring message Tuesday about the importance of standing up for what's right.

"Thank you so much everyone for all of the kind messages today," Fowler, who is now the editor-in-chief of Increment, a publication for payments company Stripe, tweeted. "Don't forget that you can make a change too. It only takes one person!"

Mashable Light Speed
Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?
Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!

Fowler's harrowing account of the sexism and harassment she said she experienced at the ride hailing company caused a backlash that resulted in as many as 500,000 account deletions. (Uber had 40 million monthly active users in October of 2016, the last time it publicly shared stats, but #DeleteUber still moved the needle -- Kalanick resigned from President Trump's economic advisory shortly after the hashtag's second wave.) Fowler's post also kicked off two investigations, including one conducted by former Attorney General Eric Holder's law firm, Covington & Burling, whose results were shared with employees Tuesday.

In the weeks after her blog post went viral, the investigation deepened, with several new allegations coming to light. More than 20 employees were ultimately fired as a result of the investigations. Eric Alexander, the president of the company's Asia business, was also fired after reports that he shared the medical files of a rape victim with others at the company. Uber SVP of Business Emil Michael also resigned Monday.

The company is also in the process of revamping serveral of its cultural values that have become "weaponized," according to the Holder report. The company also renamed "The War Room," one of its conference rooms, to "The Peace Room." The report also made several specific recommendations about how the company could improve its diversity and inclsuion practices.

None of which would have happened without Fowler coming forward to share her experience. "Truth will always win," she wrote.

Topics Uber

Mashable Image
Karissa Bell

Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.


Recommended For You
Whistleblower book Meta blocked from promotion is now an Amazon best seller
Two images side by side. On the left is the cover of "Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism" by Sarah Wynn-Williams. On the right is the Meta logo displayed on a laptop screen and Facebook logo displayed on a phone screen.

Meta blocks whistleblower from promoting book, guaranteeing way more people will read it
Two images side by side. On the left, the Facebook logo is displayed on a mobile phone with the Meta logo visible on a tablet screen. On the right, the cover of "Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism" by Sarah Wynn-Williams.


Uber and Waymo start the countdown for Austin launch next month
white Uber and Waymo co-branded autonomous SUV  parked at entrance of a building

Google cracks down on Chrome extensions following Honey scandal
Google Chrome

More in Tech
How to watch the 2025 Giro d’Italia online for free
A general view of the peloton competing close to The Colosseum

How to watch Alcaraz vs. Djere online for free
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain plays a backhand

How to watch the 2025 Barcelona Open online for free
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain plays a forehand

How to watch 'The Brutalist': See the Oscar-winning film at home
Adrien Brody in "The Brutalist"

How to watch Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich online for free
Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 18, 2025
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 18, 2025
Wordle game on a smartphone

Lego is giving away Grogu models for free to celebrate Star Wars Day. Here’s how to get yours.
Lego Bricks in child's hands

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 18
A game being played on a smartphone.

What's new to streaming this week? (April 18, 2025)
Composite of images from new to streaming titles.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!