Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off • Hacker News Board

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#351

Post by EugeneOZ » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 9:44 AM UTC

employee8000 wrote: post #234

yladiz wrote: post #34

I saw this earlier and had hopes that the update would just let me choose "While Using" in the app settings, like some other apps allow you even if they request access even while not using the app, but the settings only allow for "Always" or "Never" on iPhone. However, you can use Uber without allowing GPS, so it's not all or nothing. I'm a little disturbed that they need any information after I use Uber though. They…

Uber employee here. We were told the reason to track up to 5 mins after the trip is for fraud, ex if a driver doesn't end the trip when she is supposed to. and to figure out where the pick up spots for each address are. A large building may have multiple points where people get picked up or dropped off and knowing those points would be very useful for the drivers and riders. And just as a side note, take it with a fe…

Please send this message to management: "fuck off". Thank you.

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#352

Post by Timshel » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 9:48 AM UTC

employee8000 wrote: post #234

yladiz wrote: post #34

I saw this earlier and had hopes that the update would just let me choose "While Using" in the app settings, like some other apps allow you even if they request access even while not using the app, but the settings only allow for "Always" or "Never" on iPhone. However, you can use Uber without allowing GPS, so it's not all or nothing. I'm a little disturbed that they need any information after I use Uber though. They…

Uber employee here. We were told the reason to track up to 5 mins after the trip is for fraud, ex if a driver doesn't end the trip when she is supposed to. and to figure out where the pick up spots for each address are. A large building may have multiple points where people get picked up or dropped off and knowing those points would be very useful for the drivers and riders. And just as a side note, take it with a fe…

> There are thousands of engineers now working here and we would be the first ones who would stand up to management if we felt that something nefarious or even careless was being done with user's personal information. Many of the company values revolve around "toe stepping" and "principled confrontation" and this means even against our own management.

Then how come the "while using" option is not there ? the best way of not being careless with sensitive data is not having them in the first place.

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#353

Post by svarrall » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 9:48 AM UTC

employee8000 wrote: post #234

yladiz wrote: post #34

I saw this earlier and had hopes that the update would just let me choose "While Using" in the app settings, like some other apps allow you even if they request access even while not using the app, but the settings only allow for "Always" or "Never" on iPhone. However, you can use Uber without allowing GPS, so it's not all or nothing. I'm a little disturbed that they need any information after I use Uber though. They…

Uber employee here. We were told the reason to track up to 5 mins after the trip is for fraud, ex if a driver doesn't end the trip when she is supposed to. and to figure out where the pick up spots for each address are. A large building may have multiple points where people get picked up or dropped off and knowing those points would be very useful for the drivers and riders. And just as a side note, take it with a fe…

Surely they can get the pick up points from the drivers data, can't they flag where the found the passenger? Why would they need it from the users side too?

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#354

Post by corin_ » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 9:53 AM UTC

ryhamz wrote: post #297

vuyani wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

thats an easy thing to validate. If the vehicle is still moving, or if the driver also hasnt confirmed the trip has ended you can work it out.

"easy" Proceeds to introduce multiple points of failure.

Seems fairly easy: When the customer swipes to end, it notifies the driver. If the driver agrees, the ride ends there. If the driver doesn't agree, he tells the customer to undo the swipe or they will stop driving and the customer can get out.

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#355

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 9:53 AM UTC

employee8000 wrote: post #234

yladiz wrote: post #34

I saw this earlier and had hopes that the update would just let me choose "While Using" in the app settings, like some other apps allow you even if they request access even while not using the app, but the settings only allow for "Always" or "Never" on iPhone. However, you can use Uber without allowing GPS, so it's not all or nothing. I'm a little disturbed that they need any information after I use Uber though. They…

Uber employee here. We were told the reason to track up to 5 mins after the trip is for fraud, ex if a driver doesn't end the trip when she is supposed to. and to figure out where the pick up spots for each address are. A large building may have multiple points where people get picked up or dropped off and knowing those points would be very useful for the drivers and riders. And just as a side note, take it with a fe…

[deleted]

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#356

Post by catwell » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 9:54 AM UTC

employee8000 wrote: post #234

yladiz wrote: post #34

I saw this earlier and had hopes that the update would just let me choose "While Using" in the app settings, like some other apps allow you even if they request access even while not using the app, but the settings only allow for "Always" or "Never" on iPhone. However, you can use Uber without allowing GPS, so it's not all or nothing. I'm a little disturbed that they need any information after I use Uber though. They…

Uber employee here. We were told the reason to track up to 5 mins after the trip is for fraud, ex if a driver doesn't end the trip when she is supposed to. and to figure out where the pick up spots for each address are. A large building may have multiple points where people get picked up or dropped off and knowing those points would be very useful for the drivers and riders. And just as a side note, take it with a fe…

This kind of fraud happened to me three days ago. I filed a complaint with Uber and they resolved the issue. I certainly think something should be done in the product to help with this, but there may be better options, including letting the user click a button to declare that the trip is over.

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#357

Post by 0xmohit » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 9:57 AM UTC

newman314 wrote: post #226

bastawhiz wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> which is that data used for and which could it be used for currently, and what's planned? I don't know specific programs that are in place or upcoming, not my jam. > Does this mean that you actually do keep my individual GPS data and it could be looked up later? Trip location data is attached to users. You can look it up yourself on the Uber website (riders.uber.com). With regard to data collected from rider device…

Also, why isn't there an option to delete previous trip data? If Uber was really serious about user privacy, this would be a no brainer feature to offer.

  Also, why isn't there an option to delete previous trip data?

Uber has your data even if you delete your account. I'm not sure if they can be convinced into deleting it, but they don't do that by default.

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#358

Post by EugeneOZ » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 9:59 AM UTC

zaidf wrote: post #340

newscracker wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There are thousands of engineers now working here and we would be the first ones who would stand up to management if we felt that something nefarious or even careless was being done with user's personal information. How would you even know if "something nefarious or even careless was being done"? If there are thousands of employees, wouldn't it just be difficult for everyone to know what everyone else is working on…

My roommate works at Uber as an engineer. He has a pretty high moral bar and I'd bet there are enough like him at Uber that doing shady things systematically would get exposed to the outside world fairly quickly. Notice I said systematically because any company at scale with thousands of employees may have lonewolves doing shady stuff. But that is different than a company culture that endorses or encourages that. I h…

You and your friend are just too naive. There always will be not so honest engineers and you will never know who exactly.

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#359

Post by lazaroclapp » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 10:00 AM UTC

dav43 wrote: post #262

ipqk wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in NYC with a lot of one-way streets, including my home. I actually use two different addresses for my home depending on whether I'm being picked-up or dropped-off. Otherwise, when being dropped off, Uber has sent me on some really odd detours just to get me exactly in front of my house. Instead, I'd rather get dropped off at a corner and walk 200 feet. In theory, by collecting the location data 5 minutes afte…

But why wouldn't you just speak to the driver?

What about in a couple years, when there is no driver? Better getting this working now while there is still the fallback of human interaction...

Re: Uber Now Tracks Passengers’ Locations Even After They’re Dropped Off

#360

Post by IMcD23 » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 10:01 AM UTC

amluto wrote: post #26

I really wish that both Android and iOS had an option to outright prevent an app from doing anything in the background. No sensors, no location, no push notifications, no network access, no CPU time, URL protocols, no nothing. If I don't click the little app icon, the app shouldn't run, full stop.

Turning off Background app refresh and removing the app from the recent apps list will accomplish this.