Uber has poached Facebook 's security chief Joe Sullivan in an attempt to double down on rapidly escalating safety concerns . The $ 40 billion taxi service has been plagued by serious accusations of failing to vet its drivers . Lawsuits have been brought against Uber in San Francisco and Los Angeles . A New Delhi driver was accused of raping a passenger in December . This week in Denver , a driver tried and failed to break into a passenger 's home . And in London , a woman was allegedly asked to perform oral sex on her driver . These claims , among others , follow a data leak last May , which saw the details of 50,000 current and former drivers released into the public domain . It is hoped Sullivan , the first federal prosecutor to specialize in high-technology crime , can protect Uber from potentially crippling ramifications . Lifeline ? Joe Sullivan , 46 , will leave his role as Facebook 's security chief to help Uber defend safety concerns . There were three high-profile assault cases involving Uber drivers in December 2014 . An Indian woman said her driver raped her in New Delhi , leading to outcries and a temporary ban of Uber in that city . It came days after a driver was charged in Boston with raping a young woman . The same week , a woman in London revealed that she was offered £20 credit from Uber after one of its drivers allegedly sexually harassed her during a cab ride . This week in Denver an UberX driver was arrested after he dropped a passenger off at the airport before allegedly driving back to her house , and trying to break in . The cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles are both suing the company for 'misleading the public ' by failing to conduct thorough backgrounds checks . The firm 's first security chief , he brings with him an extensive portfolio of experience in cyber security and privacy . He spent two decades tackling cyber crime security in the private and public sector before joining the Justice Department . Cases included child protection , bank privacy , and digital strands of 9/11 investigations . Since , he has headed up the security departments at eBay , PayPal , and Facebook . Though his experience lies in digital protection , Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has also entrusted the 46-year-old with tackling physical security . Sullivan 's role will involve liaising with city and state governments around the world as the firm rapidly expands . Announcing the hire in a blog post on Thursday Kalanick wrote : 'We are both in cyberspace and on city streets all at once ; a bridge between bits and atoms . 'And as we get into tens of millions of rides a week , we continue to challenge ourselves to do even better when it comes to safety and data security . ' He added : 'This is a challenge where I get to take what makes Silicon Valley special and apply it to a product that directly impacts people 's lives everyday as they move around the world 's cities . ' Allegations : The rapidly-expanding mobile taxi service has been plagued by claims that drivers are not vetted . Looking forward : The $ 40 billion firm 's CEO Travis Kalanick announced the news in a blog post on Friday . There were three high-profile assault cases involving Uber drivers in December 2014 . An Indian woman said her driver raped her in New Delhi , leading to outcries and a temporary ban of Uber in that city . It came days after a driver was charged in Boston with raping a young woman . The same week , a woman in London revealed that she was offered £20 credit from Uber after one of its drivers allegedly sexually harassed her during a cab ride . This week in Denver an UberX driver was arrested after he allegedly dropped a passenger off at the airport before turning around , driving back to her house , and trying to break in . The cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles are both suing the company for 'misleading the public ' by failing to conduct thorough backgrounds checks .
Joe Sullivan , 46 , was the first federal prosecutor specializing in high-tech . He has worked in security for eBay , PayPal and Facebook . As Uber 's first security chief he will attempt to curb growing claims . $ 40bn taxi firm accused of not adequately vetting drivers . India driver accused of rape , Denver driver of burglary , London driver of sexual assault .