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

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

#111

Post by joesb »

visakanv wrote: post #97
bastawhiz wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Uber engineer here) The data is used for (or can be used for) a number of practical and important purposes. These are some examples of what we do as well as what we could do with such data: - Fighting fraud - Improving "suggested pickup" locations - Improvements around POOL (we'd rather suggest a location that's easy to pick up from than one that's unsafe) - Figuring out what side of the street you end up on (we can…

> Individual users' data is very closely guarded internally. It's immensely difficult to look at user data without specific access. Overwhelmingly, this data is queried in aggregate and fed into machine learning systems. The risk of abuse is exceptionally low. But so you're saying it's possible? Somebody with high enough access at Uber might be able to stalk an ex-girlfriend and follow her home? Getting into trouble…

> But so you're saying it's possible?

People with access to hardware can probably do anything if they really want to. People at the bank can remove all your money in the account by going directly into the database as well.

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

#112

Post by foodstances »

wheelerwj wrote: post #99
dgallagher wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

iOS gives you the option to disable Background App Refresh either for all apps, or for individual apps: Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh

so this will disable location and all other data for uber if its not in the foreground?

That's a separate option.

Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> Uber -> Never

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

#113

Post by arm »

dariusm5 wrote: post #64

I had to restore my iPhone from a week old backup in order to get the previous Uber version back. It's a shame there's no easier way to downgrade an app on iOS.

There is, but only if you update apps in iTunes on your computer instead of directly on your iPhone.

Basically, update the app in iTunes (which will send the old IPA package (which is still signed to your Apple ID) into the Trash / Recycle Bin, then connect your iPhone to your computer and sync to replace the old app with the new one. You’ll still have the old IPA package in your computer’s Trash / Recycle Bin, so if you ever need to downgrade to the older version of the app, just move it out of the Trash / Recycle Bin, delete the newer version of the app in iTunes, and then double-click on the old IPA package to have it open in iTunes. Then, you can just connect your iPhone to your computer and sync.

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

#114

Post by greggman »

> Uber hopes to eliminate the most frustrating part of the experience: the game of phone tag that both the rider and driver play when trying to coordinate the pickup spot.

This makes no sense to me. I tell them the pickup point so they don't need to know where I am since I already told them where I want to be picked up.

Conversely I found it very frustrating they didn't (used to?) take destination into account. Example: I want to go south. They should arguably prefer drivers that are north of me. Instead I'm just guessing they just ping all drivers within some range. Some of those drivers are south of me. In a city like SF that can end up adding 5-10 minutes to the wait because they may have to go 3-6 long blocks around to get north of me so they can go south AND so they can pick me up on the south bound side of the road.

It requires no GPS data from me to know that. It only requires that I enter where I want to be picked up and where I want to go.

I suppose it's possible I'm waiting on the north bound side even if I want to go south. Maybe they could ask "we'll pick you up on the south bound side. Ok?" or something to that effect.

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

#115

Post by twblalock »

visakanv wrote: post #101
baddox wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You seem to be implying that they are violating privacy just for the heck of it. That's ignoring the very obvious value (even to customers) of this specific type of data. As the other commenter mentioned, knowing where humans choose to be dropped off when heading to a specific location is of obvious value.

> You seem to be implying that they are violating privacy just for the heck of it. Why not both? Why not collect all the information you possibly can, whether or not you immediately see obvious value to it, and then find ways to justify it later?

> Why not collect all the information you possibly can, whether or not you immediately see obvious value to it, and then find ways to justify it later?

Because it's non-trivial and it costs a lot of money to do that, in terms of engineers' salaries, storage, etc.

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

#116

Post by BurningFrog »

visakanv wrote: post #97
bastawhiz wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Uber engineer here) The data is used for (or can be used for) a number of practical and important purposes. These are some examples of what we do as well as what we could do with such data: - Fighting fraud - Improving "suggested pickup" locations - Improvements around POOL (we'd rather suggest a location that's easy to pick up from than one that's unsafe) - Figuring out what side of the street you end up on (we can…

> Individual users' data is very closely guarded internally. It's immensely difficult to look at user data without specific access. Overwhelmingly, this data is queried in aggregate and fed into machine learning systems. The risk of abuse is exceptionally low. But so you're saying it's possible? Somebody with high enough access at Uber might be able to stalk an ex-girlfriend and follow her home? Getting into trouble…

If data exists inside an organization, it is always, by definition, possible that someone can abuse it.

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

#117

Post by zymhan »

forgottenpass wrote: post #98
bastawhiz wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Uber engineer here) The data is used for (or can be used for) a number of practical and important purposes. These are some examples of what we do as well as what we could do with such data: - Fighting fraud - Improving "suggested pickup" locations - Improvements around POOL (we'd rather suggest a location that's easy to pick up from than one that's unsafe) - Figuring out what side of the street you end up on (we can…

The data is used for (or can be used for) a number of practical and important purposes. so.. uh.. (eyebrow wag) what else do you use it for that you didn't enumerate? The risk of abuse is exceptionally low. Except, of course, events where you and I disagree about what abuse is. Like tracking journalists around for shits and giggles.

Or a romantic interest. Or any one of a million other reasons. Because no one has ever abused a massive trove of data for such trivial reasons before...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOVEINT

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

#118

Post by teej »

bastawhiz wrote: post #91
yladiz wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, but why does Uber need/care about that information? If I ask to be dropped off at X and walk a couple blocks to Y, Uber shouldn't care. I can understand the argument that maybe going to certain buildings you have to be dropped off at a specific spot, but that seems like a minor gain for something that's more than just a minor intrusion.

(Uber engineer here) The data is used for (or can be used for) a number of practical and important purposes. These are some examples of what we do as well as what we could do with such data: - Fighting fraud - Improving "suggested pickup" locations - Improvements around POOL (we'd rather suggest a location that's easy to pick up from than one that's unsafe) - Figuring out what side of the street you end up on (we can…

Thanks for being open and sharing. This all seems really reasonable to me.

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

#119

Post by joesb »

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.

iOS does that?

You can set location permission for App with "Never/While Using/Always".

You can disable Background App refresh for individual App. iOS App didn't even have ability to run in background in previous version.

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

#120

Post by stirner »

bastawhiz wrote: post #91
yladiz wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, but why does Uber need/care about that information? If I ask to be dropped off at X and walk a couple blocks to Y, Uber shouldn't care. I can understand the argument that maybe going to certain buildings you have to be dropped off at a specific spot, but that seems like a minor gain for something that's more than just a minor intrusion.

(Uber engineer here) The data is used for (or can be used for) a number of practical and important purposes. These are some examples of what we do as well as what we could do with such data: - Fighting fraud - Improving "suggested pickup" locations - Improvements around POOL (we'd rather suggest a location that's easy to pick up from than one that's unsafe) - Figuring out what side of the street you end up on (we can…

Your haughty attitude toward privacy is really chilling. If Uber hasn't received a NSL [1] I would be astounded, and your employer doesn't have a great track record [2]. Please think hard about the world you are helping to create.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_security_letter

[2] http://www.buzzfeed.com/johanabhuiyan/uber-is-investigating-...

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