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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

#451

Post by edkennedy »

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…

Currently, I live in one of those large building complexes and have seen the related changes you bring up. The app has updated to show the different spots commonly used for pickup/drop off and I clicked on one of those instead of moving the pin every time like I used to.

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

#452

Post by ipqk »

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?

Generally, that's what I used to do, but a lot of drivers are now so dependent on the GPS that I have to give street-by-street instructions.

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

#453

Post by zbeat »

kbart wrote: post #275
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…

"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…

Earlier this year, WhatsApp implemented platform-wide, end-to-end encryption, based on the Signal Protocol: https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/05/whatsapp-completes-end-to-...

That should be applauded.

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

#454

Post by omouse »

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…

Uber as a company is very ethical and takes the responsibility that we are entrusted with very seriously.

and at the same time plays dirty with city councils and hires a lot of lobbyists and slashes prices without advanced warning to drivers? all of those are unethical practices.

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

#455

Post by omouse »

rmc wrote: post #365
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…

> but costumers can't take their data back. For a US company, yes. For EU companies, the EU privacy law says you can only use the data for the original purposes, and based on what the person consented to. You can't grab all data (since that's overbroad), and "consent" can't just be "click through on legalese". If you're concerened about privacy, don't use US companies.

In Canada too you can request all of the data that a company has on you. You just have to fill in a form or call the company and if they refuse you can contact the privacy office in your respective province or the federal privacy commision or just plain lawyer up.

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

#456

Post by DenisM »

omarforgotpwd wrote: post #65
DenisM wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you kill an app on the iOS, it stays dead until you launch it again, iirc.

it stays dead until the system decides to reload it. It may decide to do this for various reasons such a entering a geofence, significant location update, or push notification. But turning off background app refresh should prevent all of these things from turning on your app I think. Also low power mode can also be used as a sort of incognito mode because it stops all background activity to preserve battery.

Have you checked? I stumbled on it myself with background network, background upload requests get killed when the app is killed, and they don not resume even if you relaunch the app. I have a hunch all other background actitivity is the same way.

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

#457

Post by fsavard »

There was an episode of the american version of the "modern Sherlock Holmes" TV series, "Elementary", where the plot revolved around a company akin to Uber (called Zooss in the show). It was particularly illustrative of how tempting it can be for internal employees to abuse that type of data. Among other things Sherlock was able to requisition a large fraction of the company GPS tracking data for his murder investigation. As a side effect he was able to figure out who was having an affair, who was going for an interview at a competitor's company, etc.

5 minutes after drop-off is quite enough to uncover where you meant to _really_ go if you gave a close-by address, in these scenarios.

That's pretty much what the OP meant with "So your secret rendezvous may not be so secret" but it's particularly poignant in a TV show.

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

#458

Post by chris_wot »

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…

That's nice you believe that, except for the fact that only a few years ago Uber tracked the location of a Buzzfeed journalist from God mode, and was accordingly fined for it.[1]

In 2014, senior executive Emil Michael suggested using their service to dig up dirt on reporters.[2]

They further tracked a Buzzfeed reporter when she was late to a meeting with one of their executives, without her permission.[3]

The Uber data science team once used sensitive customer data to find a correlation between their ride data and prostituion, which was highlighted when it was quietly taken down.[4] Lest you think this was a one-off blog, then I refer you to the one entitled "Rides of Glory" [5] that tracked the one-night stands of their riders (you just can't make this shit up).[6]

At Uber's Boston launch party they thought it would be hilarious to track 30 users in what they dubbed "Creepy Stalker View", and one executive, Chris Sims, was shown travelling around in a car - live - causing him to quit the service in outrage.[7]

1. https://www.google.com.au/amp/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/...

2. https://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/uber-executive-suggests-di...

3. https://www.buzzfeed.com/johanabhuiyan/uber-is-investigating...

4. https://www.google.com.au/amp/venturebeat.com/2014/11/24/ube...

5. https://web.archive.org/web/20141118192805/http://blog.uber....

6. http://www.marketplace.org/2014/11/18/business/final-note/ub...

7. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/10/03/god-view-...

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

#459

Post by gregman »

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.

To prevent data from being used by the Uber app on Android I enabled data server mode, and from there denied the Uber app from having unrestricted data access (settings > apps > special access > unrestricted data access). This allows me to still use the Uber app and request a ride, and I'll receive texts once the car is near.

Last week during Thanksgiving travel I received a advertisement from the Uber app (as a notification) when I arrived at the SFO airport, even though I did not use the app at all that day. That's when I decided it was time to take away the unrestricted data access. I do agree that it would be nice to have better privacy options for each app, but I thought I'd share this workaround for the time being.

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

#460

Post by chris_wot »

employee8000 wrote: post #303
mfrommil wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling bs on "uber as a company is very ethical" and "nothing nefarious is going on": Spying on a journalist: http://www.businessinsider.com/ubers-new-york-manager-invest... Tracking celebrities and sharing publicly: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/10/03/god-view-...

Both articles from 2014. Uber 2014 and Uber 2016 are different companies, probably 5x the number of employees and has matured substantially especially with employee conduct expectations. I would be shocked and angry if something like that happened today.

Weak, so weak. This is how the company was founded, and they want us to trust them with their data? Hell no.
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