Uber is apparently facing a third federal criminal investigation in the US

This past April, a Lyft driver filed a lawsuit against Uber that in part cited the program, but it was dismissed. An Uber spokesperson told the Journal that the company is cooperating with the investigation.

Under Hell, Uber was tracking drivers working for Lyft, the report says, although Uber never acknowledged the program publicly. The software's existence was first reported in February, and now the FBI is investigating its use, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The FBI investigation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, adds to the growing list of federal investigations facing the company, presenting a challenge for its new chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi as he tries to restore Uber's image and morale. It's now unclear when the federal agency officially started its probe, though the thereof may have been related to the aforementioned lawsuit which drew additional attention to Hell earlier this year. That's a question the FBI's NY office and Manhattan US attorney's office are jointly trying to answer.

The burea is looking into an Uber initiative, called Hell in internal memos leaked earlier this year, that operated from 2014 to 2016. Uber's attorneys at the time argued that the intel it had gathered was "readily accessible to the general public".

Uber was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Independent.

The scheme involved Uber workers opening fake accounts for its rival Lyft. After more information surfaced through the court proceedings, a USA judge called for a federal investigation along with the already ongoing civil suit.

The programme was also allegedly used to check up on drivers who worked for both companies.

Uber hired Khosrowshahi, who was CEO of travel website Expedia, Inc., to take over the helm of the ride-sharing service beginning this week.