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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

#431

Post by kirykl »

magicalist wrote: post #241
kirykl wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry to disrupt your narrative but a theoretical action by Trump is worse than what's already happened under Obama? http://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/477921/

> During that time period, state and federal law enforcement requested information on 408 riders and 205 drivers. Uber, however, only fully complied with 32 percent of requests, while partially complying with 53 percent of requests. Not exactly an epidemic.

But that's not my point. My point is actual exploitation of Ubers data that's already happened, is worse than fear mongering politically biased hypotheticals

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

#432

Post by coolstorydude89 »

necessity wrote: post #11

PrivacyGuard and Orwall prevent applications from using the internet/GPS without your express authorization. Anyway if you want absolute privacy toss your smartphone in the trash can, cancel your contract with your ISP, commit social suicide and go live off the grid.

I am already slowly inching toward this, I removed Internet access from my home, and don't use any smartphone applications at all.

I have not seen any adverse effect on my life/productivity from doing this, people overestimate the amount that they actually need these services. In reality they mostly amount to useless appendages. Especially in an era with free wifi nearly everywhere, being on grid/off grid is as simple as whipping a laptop out of my bag and turning it on.

Persistent connectivity is not a need.

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

#433

Post by Neliquat »

lostlogin wrote: post #371
LargeCompanies wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- Search Twitter for fraud rides in London .. happens to tons of people a month but they don't care. I got hit up for a 1k ride in London yet im in the US. - Try canceling your account .. you have to contact their support who will cancel it for you. What i signed up once and you let my account get hacked and dont care and I cant cancel my account myself? I have to wait a week???? - SOmeone I know has leased a car thr…

You might want to edit or delete most of that later section.

He isnt wrong.

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

#434

Post by Neliquat »

lostlogin wrote: post #371
LargeCompanies wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- Search Twitter for fraud rides in London .. happens to tons of people a month but they don't care. I got hit up for a 1k ride in London yet im in the US. - Try canceling your account .. you have to contact their support who will cancel it for you. What i signed up once and you let my account get hacked and dont care and I cant cancel my account myself? I have to wait a week???? - SOmeone I know has leased a car thr…

You might want to edit or delete most of that later section.

He isnt wrong.

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

#435

Post by noarchy »

curried_haskell wrote: post #429
employee8000 wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I'm sorry but Uber has broken the law in how many different cities, and you have the gall to call Uber "ethical"? Um, no. Uber is not ethical. Uber willfully breaks laws they don't like when they think they can get away with it. Why should I EVER trust Uber to obey the law or act ethnically towards me, when they already why as if laws are optional? Uber can get fucked.

Do you equate law with your society's ethics? Sometimes the two are well-aligned, I think, but not always. In a democratic society, they should be aligned, but the truth is, it isn't the rank-and-file of society making the laws.

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

#436

Post by mathw »

AliAdams wrote: post #300
kbart wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Uber as a company is very ethical and takes the responsibility that we are entrusted with very seriously." Probably every company has said that, yet we know how that usually turns out sooner rather than later (I'm looking at you, WhatsApp). "So I know it's not easy to believe, and it's easy for me to say since I work here, but nothing nefarious is going on. If there was, we the engineers would be against it complete…

I thought the drop-off points for large buildings could be a very reasonable justification for extending the tracking window for a few minutes on either side of the drive. I understand that this could fall into 'data necessary to provide a better service' as opposed to simply providing the service as-is, but it seems like drop-off point locations are quite fundamental.

I'm not sure how this data actually helps. I'll tell Uber where to pick me up, and where I want to go, and I can tell the driver exactly where to stop.

Now, if this is to feed into their plans for autonomous taxis, that's all very well because I am really looking forward to being able to summon an autonomous electric car to take me wherever I want to go, but I still don't understand why they care about more than where I actually get out.

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

#437

Post by rbcgerard »

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…

So to paraphrase "I know we had problems in the past - but trust us, we're good guys!"

Put your money where your mouth is - explicitly state in your terms of service specific safeguards of my data and large monetary rewards for a beach of those terms on your part...you never do anything bad with our data right? This should be easy...

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

#438

Post by xapata »

wallace_f wrote: post #232
xapata wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To each his own. In my view, the cat's out of the bag, so I might as well get a better product out of it.

Well, to me it's a problem. Here is an example of the kind of thing that is already happening: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161130/09293036157/brook... To me, if 1 is getting caught, it makes me question how many are not getting caught. Or are getting caught and let off the hook because the people around them won't hold them accountable. If we continue to allow this, we're just going to expand the amount of ab…

Abuse of power is a serious problem. It's hard to imagine that more regulation would stop bad actors like that judge, since he's already breaking the law.

I can't think of a way to keep privacy technologically without sacrificing the modern conveniences I very much appreciate. Uber in particular has dramatically improved my lifestyle. Google Maps as well.

Experiments like justin.tv show one solution to the problem. Justin Kan, during those 8 months he broadcast his life, would not have feared a secret wiretap. It might be a couple decades more, but I expect that eventually it'll be normal to wear a camera on your face. When everyone broadcasts, surveillance is meaningless.

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

#439

Post by robbiemitchell »

mwexler wrote: post #427

I despise apps that do "Always" or "Never" for Location Tracking. It's really reflective of the larger issue of control of data, but this is particularly galling when the app hasn't given you an option nor a good reason for "Always" tracking. I'm always surprised when each iOS update continues _allowing the app to define available choices_ instead of giving the consumer the "While Using" option for any app requesting…

Part of this is due to limitations in how iOS communicates this to users. "Always" can refer to either (1) always-on GPS, or (2) Bluetooth, which will ping app-owned beacons. The Bluetooth option is significantly narrower in scope, but uses the same dialog as the GPS.

I worked for a company that relied on Bluebooth beacons to provide a critical app experience (notifications before app itself is opened), so the app blocked the login screen until the Bluetooth-driven "Always" location authorization was granted. It was a headache explaining to users.

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

#440

Post by PMan74 »

sdoering wrote: post #373

I am asking myself, if this could mean, we can "kill" Uber in Germany for good. Our data protection laws state, that you are only allowed to track the necessary data to provide the service. Tracking users after the use a service is imho not really encompassing the spirit of the law. Surely Uber lawyers could state that this is necessary information for making the service better for the user - like always. Non the les…

Not just Germany, I'm pretty sure this is an EU wide directive. For sure it's the it works in Ireland (where thankfully Uber has not had any success).

So Uber must have some view on why this does not contravene that directive, I doubt they have not considered it.

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