Police investigate suspected corporate espionage against iFood; former employee is target of operation
A search and seizure warrant was served in Piracicaba against a former employee suspected of passing on information to a competitor.
247 - The São Paulo Civil Police is investigating a possible case of corporate espionage and unfair competition involving iFood. This Friday (24), the Judicial Police Unit (UPJ) of Piracicaba carried out a search and seizure warrant against a former employee of the company accused of transferring thousands of internal data and strategic information to personal devices.
According to a information obtained by GloboThe files contain data from over 4 restaurants registered on the platform. Some of this material was allegedly passed on to a competitor, where the suspect currently works. The company's identity has not been disclosed.
The investigations are part of an inquiry into unfair competition practices. According to the Civil Police, the case began after a complaint filed by iFood itself, which reported that the former employee, upon leaving the company, had taken confidential and strategic information.
During the execution of the court order, computers, cell phones, and pen drives were seized and will be sent for forensic analysis to confirm the alleged improper transfer of data.
Approaches by foreign consulting firms
According to O Globo, this case adds to another operation conducted by the 32nd Police District of São Paulo, last Tuesday (21), in a property in the Vila Carmosina neighborhood, in the east of the capital. The action, ordered by the Criminal Court of the Regional Forum of Itaquera, targeted a 28-year-old man investigated for theft by abuse of trust and invasion of computer device.
The lawsuit indicates that foreign consulting firms have been approaching iFood employees through LinkedIn, offering payments in exchange for confidential information about the company's structure and performance.
In messages and audio exchanged in an internal group called "Rádio Peão iFood," one of the employees reported receiving more than R$ 5 from a consulting firm identified as China Insights Consultancy (CIC Global), of Chinese origin. The employee shared screenshots of the questions sent by the consulting firm and the answers he provided.
Among the questions were the company's profit, the delivery rate per city, the monthly volume of orders in Brazil, and details about competition from foreign apps like 99 and Meituan.
Company positioning
Wanted by GlobeiFood confirmed that the case is under investigation and stated, in a note, that "the cases are being processed under judicial secrecy and iFood will only comment in the court records through the Feller Advogados law firm." The company also stated that it repudiates any practice of unfair competition, including "attempts at corporate espionage," and reiterated its commitment to a "transparent and ethical environment in the delivery market."
Meituan, the parent company of the Keeta platform, also mentioned in the court documents, stated that it "does not hire any companies to approach individuals on its behalf" and that it has not received any legal notification. "Keeta reiterates its full commitment to best market practices and is available to cooperate with the authorities when necessary," the company informed.
China Insights Consultancy (CIC Global) did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
