Kutcher, ashton

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/20611/20141121/ashton-kutcher-thinks-uber-did-nothing-wrong-by-spying-on-you-do-you-agree.htm

several tweets, Ashton Kutcher defended Uber from its critics, including asking what is not right about "digging up dirt on a shady journalist."

Uber has been receiving an increased amount of criticism lately as executives for the ride-sharing company have reportedly said a series of statements that step over the privacy of their passengers.

Emil Michael, Uber's senior vice president of business, was said to have proposed that certain journalists should be the subject of investigations, including their personal and family lives, by operatives for Uber.

Michael reportedly said during a dinner in New York that Uber should hire researchers to "dig up dirt on its critics in the media," according to a report published by BuzzFeed.

While Michael has since apologized for the remarks that he made, Travis Kalanick, the CEO of Uber and Michael's boss, has expressed his disagreement with the thoughts expressed by Michael that there is "sensational media coverage" on Uber.

"[Michael's] remarks showed a lack of leadership, a lack of humanity and a departure from our values and ideals," tweeted Kalanick.

In addition, Uber confirmed that it is investigating whether one of the company's general managers, Josh Mohrer from the New York office of Uber, violated the privacy policies of the company by tracking the location of a reporter.

Mohrer allegedly used Uber's tracking tool "God's View" to monitor the whereabouts of a reporter for Buzzfeed earlier in November, which the news service also reported.

Uber said in a statement that accessing the personal data of its customers is only limited for "legitimate business purposes," and that all employees found to be in violation of the rule could be fired.

Despite the allegations, Kutcher held firm in the tweets that he posted in defense of Uber, wherein he is an investor.

"So as long as journalist (sic) are interested and willing to print half truths as facts...Yes we should question the source," tweeted Kutcher, referring to the reports circulating on the allegations against Uber.

Kutcher, however, should be reminded that Uber was given by the Better Business Bureau a rating of F, and that several business practices of the company have already previously received intense criticism, including strategies that looked to severely undermine the operations of its rival ride-sharing companies.

Uber, as a company, has always emitted a sense of arrogance with the way it carries out its business, as if the company believes that it is above the law.

Despite his controversial comments, Michael was not fired and was just instead told by Kalanick to learn from his mistakes.

n Kutcher, Hollywood actor and successful technology investor, just endorsed a photo and messaging app called Taptalk to his 16M Twitter followers on Sunday. The tweet prompted many people to wonder whether the messaging service will be Kutcher's next investment. Kutcher has had a successful career as a tech entrepreneur, with about $100 million invested in startups through his venture capital firm.

Similar to Snapchat, Taptalk sends self-destructing pictures and videos to your friends. But Taptalk has eliminated the timers and the profiles. The difference makes many of its users claim that Taptalk is an easier and cleaner interface to use than Snapchat.

With Kutcher holding a large influence on Twitter, it won't be a surprise if Taptalk attracts a substantial amount of buzz this week. It made us take a look back at some of Kutcher's most successful tech investments.

Foursquare and Skype

Before he co-founded his venture capital firm A-Grade Investments, Kutcher invested solo in the social network Foursquare. This investment put him on the map of the startup scene and in 2009 he invested in Skype. Microsoft bought Skype two years later for over $8 billion and Kutcher tripled his money, according to reports.

Airbnb

In 2011, Ashton Kutcher invested in Airbnb through his venture capital firm A-Grade Investments. Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects travelers seeking accommodations with people renting out their homes. At the time, the startup had approximately 60,000 listings and claimed that users had booked more than a million nights through its service, according to The New York Times. In a blog postwelcoming him to the team, Airbnb wrote: "With his incredible wit and personality, Ashton Kutcher has shown the world the power social media has on emerging brands and in developing strong, passionate communities. With Ashton on board, we'll be working together to take our community engagement to the next level. " Three years later, the company has over 500,000 listings and over 10 million nights booked.

Spotify

Kutcher also invested in the music streaming service Spotify. In an interview with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, Kutcher stated why companies like Spotify and Airbnb succeed. "You have to have the know-how and the moxie to actually put together the pieces and build the solution in a really effective way."

YPlan

In 2013, Kutcher invested in an events app founded in London. The mobile app lets users find last-minute events happening that evening and allows them to buy tickets through one click. The app, which is very popular in London, has expanded to New York and San Francisco.