The kill switch is a secret tactic used by the company.
Over 124,000 company documents were leaked to the Guardian.
"We will not make excuses for past behavior that is clearly not in line with our current values," the company said.
The "kill switch" was used by the company to prevent law enforcement from accessing large amounts of company data during office raids.
According to the leaked files, the protocol was activated at least 12 times by the ride-sharing company as authorities tried to crack down on it.
According to reports, top execs, including Kalanick and Gore- Coty, were involved in the practice.
The system was stopped by the CEO when he took over.
Gore- Coty told the Guardian that he regretted some of the tactics used to get regulatory reform for ridesharing.
The finding is just one of several revelations published over the weekend as part of a global investigation based on 124,000 company documents leaked to the Guardian and shared with a group of media outlets.
"We have not and will not make excuses for past behavior that is clearly not in line with our present values," said the svp of marketing and public affairs. We want the public to judge us by what we've done over the last five years and what we're going to do in the future.
In the past few years, the company has tried to redeem itself from a number of scandals, lawsuits, and investigations that came to a head in the year of Kalanick's leadership.
Hazelbaker said that the tumultuous year led to the appointment of the company's current CEO.
Business Insider has an article on it.