Uber is facing fresh criticism over its privacy policy after reports surfaced today claiming that many of the company's employees have access to a 'God View' map that can show live-tracking of Uber users' movements.

Earlier this month one journalist arrived at a meeting with Josh Mohrer, the general manager of Uber New York to find him waiting for her. He reportedly greeted her and gestured to his phone and told her that he had been tracking her ride.

An article was published on Buzzfeed today after two former Uber employees revealed details about the availability of access to tracking maps.

Speaking at a recent dinner in New York, the company's senior vice president Emil Michael suggested that the company should investigate journalists’ personal lives and gather information to be used to threaten people who write negative stories about the company.

The comments were also reported by journalists from Buzzfeed. Mr Michael later said that the remarks reflected the frustration that he felt after the company had experienced negative coverage in the media. He said that the comments were not intended to be taken literally. He also believed that he was speaking off the record at the time.

It now seems that the event was in fact intended to be off the record, but no one informed the Buzzfeed journalist.

The company has previously been accused of sexism, particularly after its French operation called “Avions de Chasse” offered users the chance to be driven around Lyon by female models.

Journalist Sarah Lacey is said to have been the target of Mr Michael’s comments. She is the editor of the Silicon Valley website PandoDaily and wrote a number of articles that were highly critical of the company, including one about deleting her Uber account under the headline: ‘The horrific trickle down of asshole culture’.