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

Putting aside all the other arguments regarding privacy, ethics, etc, I have a more acute issue: battery life. I allow almost no app "Always Using" privileges on location because of battery drain. I saw this update on Uber yesterday and now i've had to literally turn on and off Location services altogether when using/not-using Uber to prevent potential battery drain.

Over the weekend, now I need to run a test to see how Uber performs on the "24 hr Battery Usage" stats with Location always on. That is a lot of work for a retail device, but I'm also so dependent on Uber now (gave up having a car!)...

That's a dramatic and very silly example.

Thanks for providing your perspective. Did anyone question the decision to remove the option of only allowing Uber to use location while using the app? That would have been a reasonable way to gather data but allow people uncomfortable with background tracking to opt-out.

I think the parent's point is that there's nothing hidden going on in addition to the known business model and standard company practices. You obviously disagree with that business model, and that's fine. For the millions of people who don't disagree with it, parent says: "we are not cheating or abusing you behind your back".

Those links are also pretty weak: all speculation or opinion pieces about things that are out in the open:

1) this is not even close to money laundering? 1) this is just a list of companies with "uber" in their name? besides, it's very common for companies to structure and re-structure themselves without anything unethical going on. it's also common to do it for tax purposes, see below. 2) quite a bold opinion piece about the driver situation. clearly, with so many drivers and customers taking part, it's a matter of opinion. it's reasonable to call it unethical if that's your view but it's not really what the parent meant. 3) pure media hysteria. good to see The Sun as a source on HN. 4) the tax thing again. as it stands, everyone wants to lower their taxes and almost all large companies do this a lot and do it legally. if your view is that they should just volunteer as much tax as possible, you're welcome to that view - there are signs that the law will start to change to be less forgiving of this. however, the specific case in the article is probably the worst example you could pick: the ability to offset losses from previous years isn't even close to being a grey area.

Do cab drivers come in for the same criticism? I've been scammed and lied to so many times by (official) cab drivers and they are absolute sharks for exploiting desperation and ignorance. There are investigative stories linking taxi cab rings with genuine organised crime. I guess they must do perfect tax returns?

According to the permissions request dialogue, "...We [want to collect your data even after you're dropped off] to improve pickups, drop-offs, customer service and to enhance safety..."

I don't buy any of it. Here's why:

IMPROVE DROP-OFFS: The most improved drop-off that Uber can deliver is the one I, the passenger, gives them, either verbally to the driver, via GPS by them noting the point where I was dropped off, or via GPS by me entering my destination location. Normally, I ask to be dropped off where it's most convenient for me, and the most convenient for me is the best drop-off experience possible. Even if after being dropped off, I go to a final destination for which Uber reckons a better drop-off point than the one I chose exists, it's not for Uber to say, based on where I am going, what my best drop off point is. That's for me, the customer, to say. Since when does a cab tell you where to drop you off? Unless I don't know where I am going, in which case Uber already knows what the best drop off point is, and has no need to further improve it.

IMPROVE PICKUPS. Presumably, the pickup will be improved based on historical location data, which tells them, this guy actually goes/lives/drinks/et here, something we know coz we tracked him last time he used Uber. Again, when I board a cab, I go to the point of most convenience for me. I'd probably have a cab come right to my bedroom door inside my house if it were possible, but since it's not, I choose the next best possible point, which is normally the same place they dropped me off at if they're the ones who brought me here. Same argument applies: unless I'm a stranger, my choice of pickup point is the best pickup point experience possible, and needs no further improvement. If based on where I'm coming from, Uber reckon there's a better pickup point, it's not for them to say. They're a cab. A cab comes get you where you want it to come get you, the location of your bedroom door and other laws and issues permitting.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: This sounds tenuous. Nothing that I can think of that can be termed as good customer service from a cab company would be improved by tracking my movement after the cab has dropped me off. Some good customer service issues have nothing to do with my location, and the two that do are the ones I've discussed above.

ENHANCE SAFETY. Again, tenuous without more explanation. How does knowing where I go after you drop me off enhance safety either for myself or the driver?

I've seen a comment from some who says they work at Uber saying that this helps to figure out where the pick up spots for each address are, that a large building may have multiple points where people get picked up or dropped off. Which sounds reasonable, until you realize that the point that I got dropped off is the best one for me, which is why I chose it, and you, Uber, already know that because you've just dropped me off. Tracking me AFTER dropping me off doesn't make your knowledge of my best drop off more accurate, it makes it less accurate since I'm moving further and further away from the best drop off point as you continue to track me.