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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

#281

Post by legulere »

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…

> but Uber as a company is very ethical

Even if you would believe Uber is an ethical company (there is good reason to believe for-profit companies generally are not and also good reason Uber especially is not), the underlying problem is that the data could fall into other hands. Three letter agencies can ask for that data, someone could leak the data, etc. I know the last one sounds unlikely but stuff like this happens all the time.

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

#282

Post by dcosson »

Am I the only one who thinks this is actually a very small amount of additional data to give up, and don't mind doing it? I'm willing to accept there's a small chance it might make the service a little better for me.

They already know exactly where I came from and where I'm going, what could I possibly do in the 5 minutes after getting dropped off that would reveal significantly more information?

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

#283

Post by kriro »

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…

I'm pretty sure in Germany it'll pretty much be "this is illegal as it tracks data at the individual level". Especially since there is no need for this to enable the core service.

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

#284

Post by therec »

redditmigrant wrote: post #35
forrestthewoods wrote: post #19

I ranted about this last weekend. No app, positively no app, gets "always" access to my location info. I don't care what their "privacy policy" says. I'm annoyed Apple even allows this. It shouldn't even be an option. Clearly iOS needs more fine tuned permissions. I can share my location with a friend for an hour. I'd Uber wants 5 minutes worth then they should be granted 5 minutes worth. Not infinite and unlimited.…

One thing iOS shouldn't allow is for apps to pick this all or nothing user setting. Apps should be forced to deal with user changing the location setting from always to only while using. If its an option in the OS , app developers, especially big ones like Uber will build for that experience.

Agreed! You should be able to give access to GPS only when running the app, I really do not like the All or Nothing policy. After all, there is no reasonable reason to justify the use of any phone resources when not using the app. In my phone Waze keeps using the GPS even if I kill the app and even after a fresh restart! I obviously deleted Waze now, but not without regret. :-(

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

#285

Post by rajathagasthya »

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…

Honestly, none of the examples you gave above is good enough for me to give me location information to Uber (or any other company). I'm sure you have the best of intentions as an engineer to improve your service (and so do your co-workers), but I (and a lot of others) don't trust any company with sensitive personal data.

I can understand if you gave the "Always" option in addition to the "While Using" option with this explanation, but strong arming your users to give an all or nothing choice is bad.

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

#286

Post by [deleted] »

bastawhiz wrote: post #276
newman314 wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It's not just your trip data, it's also your driver's. It would be wrong to allow you to delete the record of the trip. It's also the case that the record of your trip isn't just data. It's the receipt for an actual thing that happened. A transaction between three or more parties takes place. That data needs to be preserved for any number of the reasons, including government compliance. Even just handling credit card…

[deleted]

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

#287

Post by r00fus »

lbotos wrote: post #168
nojvek wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well it's the same company that creepily gives me a code interview in the app because it knows I go to a software company couple of times a week and pushes a job ad. Uber has a lot of sensitive information regarding users. Who goes where and when. This in the wrong hand can be very disastrous. E.g Trump to Uber: "gimme list of all people who to to mosques frequently. No tax for you." Uber: "Here you go. Just don't te…

While I love this scenario from a "Trump could abuse his power" narrative, have there been any recorded cases of businesses in America getting "Secret" tax breaks? Seems like it'd be pretty hard to pull off with the IRS. Sure, maybe they "Bundled" that data it in to some ~other~ lobbied tax deal, but I'd imagine someone would whistle blow that pretty quick in this post-snowden world?

Post-snowden? We all know about it but the power abuse still happens.

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

#288

Post by SturgeonsLaw »

plesner wrote: post #269
employee8000 wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes and as an employee looking from the inside out, I see how negative the press is, and before I joined Uber I was biased by the media coverage as well. But everything I've seen on the inside directly goes against the media coverage I've seen. Take it with a grain of salt obviously.

I've seen first-hand uber employees doing things on behalf of the company that are even more unethical than what's being reported in the press.

Member when Uber hired teams to book and ditch rides with their competitors? Member when they hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on a plaintiff who was suing them?

I member.

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

#289

Post by rajathagasthya »

bastawhiz wrote: post #244
phs318u wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firstly, I just want to take the opportunity to thank you for sticking around and taking part in the conversation. While my own thoughts lie mostly with the other respondents in this thread, it's critical that we have channels somewhere in-between "press release" and "Wikileaks" for getting some insight into the workings of companies like Uber. Having said all that, it's still creepy. And the examples you gave (Googl…

I don't want to sound like I'm minimizing the issue, when I say this, because I respect the sentiments expressed here greatly. But there's a very strong stigma around collection of location data, more so than other forms of more sensitive information. Almost every credit card company, bank, insurance company, and more share your every purchase. What you buy, what you eat, how you live. As far as the sensitivity of da…

> For me, I go to and from home, the gym, and work. Every day. If someone was looking at that data, I'd be creeped out, but they'd learn almost nothing about me.

Ha, this sounds exactly like "I have nothing to hide, so I'm okay with the NSA gathering all of my data".

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

#290

Post by r00fus »

whatgoodisaroad wrote: post #238
mortenjorck wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a simple way to send a message: Set the location services setting to "Never" and just enter addresses for now (copy and paste from Maps if it's easier). The important thing is that their analytics will pick this up, and if enough users do it, hopefully point toward re-enabling "While using."

You can also just switch it back to "Never" when you're done with your trip.

Yeah, that's a dark pattern. It should default to not tracking me after the ride is done.
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