Uber under investigation for violations of hacking laws?

A separate rumored DoJ probe is said to focus on compliance with anti-bribery regulations.

Uber may be facing two independent Department of Justice investigations, one involving anti-hacking regulations and another focused on US laws prohibiting bribery overseas, according to separate reports.

The judge overseeing the Waymo v. Uber case recently received a letter confirming that federal prosecutors are pursuing a criminal investigation related to the civil lawsuit. Specific details remain unclear, though the prosecutors are said to be assigned to the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Unit.

A former Uber worker has accused the company of operating an intelligence division that uses special encryption apps and other methods to prevent their internal communications from being cited as evidence in lawsuits. The team also allegedly used controversial methods -- perhaps illegal -- to gather information about competitors.

"The presence of these particular prosecutors' names on this letter, prosecutors from the office's computer hacking section, may suggest the government is pursuing yet another angle of investigation," former prosecutor and current Stanford professor Kathryn Haun told Ars Technica.

A separate report in The Wall Street Journal suggests the DoJ is also exploring a formal investigation related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits companies from using bribes or other shady practices to secure business in foreign countries.