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Uber CEO quits Trump council in wake of #DeleteUber

Uber’s CEO Travis Kalanick, has stepped down from President Donald Trump’s advisory council following backlash from US riders angered by his response to Trump’s new immigration policy.

Riders used the #DeleteUber hashtag, calling for others to delete the app and boycott of the service, in an effort to hit its pockets.

Kalanick responded by announcing that Uber will donate $3 million in legal aid for drivers affected by the immigration policy. He then followed it up with a letter to his employees announcing he was stepping down from the council, which was made up of a number of other top business leaders from the tech and other industries.

“There are many ways we will continue to advocate for just change on immigration, but staying on the council was going to get in the way of that,” an email Kalanick wrote reportedly read.

“Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the president or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that,” he said.

Kalanick also mentioned that he’d informed Trump of his decision.

The decision has been hailed by many, including those from the Muslim community and Uber drivers.

“Membership on this council is an endorsement of bigotry, period,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates. “Thanks to the thousands of activists who protested and made their voice heard, Kalanick and Uber woke up to this reality.”

“We will fight for the rights of immigrants in our communities so that each of us can be who we are with optimism and hope for the future,” Kalanick ended off in his email.

Kalanick, incidentally, is one of the CEOs from tech firms who signed a letter to Trump, voicing their grievances concerning what the media is referring to as the ‘Muslim ban’.

[Source – New York Times. Image – CC Núcleo Editorial]

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