Waymo co-CEO on robotic sabotage: ‘We don’t stand for it’

Waymo is currently the leading robo-taxi company in the United States, and this situation has put the company’s vehicles in the crosshairs of vandals several times over the past year — most recently this past weekend in Los Angeles. On the sidelines of TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said sabotage against Waymo’s robotaxis is “not good.”

“Vandalism is obviously a crime, so we are very focused on working with law enforcement to make sure that we go after people who commit these crimes against our fleet,” Maucana told TechCrunch. “It doesn’t matter who the fleet is. This is unacceptable, not acceptable, and therefore damaging property? We do not stand for that.”

Concerns about privacy and surveillance became a major issue in protests during the second Trump administration, especially as the government ramped up deportation efforts. Meanwhile, broader public resistance to technology companies — especially those that enable surveillance — has led to several Waymo vehicles being damaged and burned by vandals.

During a mainstage interview on Monday, Mawkana reiterated her previous comments that Waymo rejects government requests for footage captured by Waymo vehicles if those requests are “too broad and unlawful.”

When asked backstage about what Waymo is doing to change the perception of its vehicles, Mawakana pointed to the company’s push to put designs by local artists on some vehicles as part of a broader effort to “make the fleet part of the community.” But while Waymo often backs away from surveillance requests, she said the company must “continue to work with first responders to help us address this challenge” of vandalism.

“They don’t want it in their cities. It doesn’t keep people safe. We don’t want it,” she said.