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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

#71

Post by crazysim »

melvinmt wrote: post #8

> Uber collects your location data from the time of trip request through five minutes after ends trip ends, including when the app is in the background. We do this to improve pickups, drop-offs, customer service, and to enhance safety. Meh, sounds reasonable as long as they don't collect data outside this window (although they should not make it all-or-nothing, a third option of "While in use" would be better).

It's a very reasonable reason. It sounds like something that would be reasonable to expand the APIs on the OS to allow and enforce.

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

#72

Post by bogomipz »

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.

I thought that Cyanogen had something like what you are describing. Can anyone confirm?

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

#73

Post by bigiain »

synicalx wrote: post #55
erkose wrote: post #16

Why do we accept this intrusion into our lives?

I accept it because I don't really care if Uber knows where I am for a couple of minutes after they drop me off. Not everyone's cup of tea, but if you don't like it there's nothing stopping you from uninstalling the app.

Any you trust them (as a company) that they'll "only track you for 5 minutes after using the app", and you trust each of their staff members will have controlled/secured/audited access to only the 5 minutes location data after a trip, and you trust them to never deploy a production bug in their tracking code, and you trust every law enforcement or business partner request for that data including gag-order-backed-NSLs.

And that's OK - if you're good with that. Now go and ask some women you know whether they have all that trust? Or minorities. Or activists. If you were a Muslim or Mexican in the US right now - do you suppose you'd be happy leaving an Uber app with "Always" location tracking permission on your phone past Jan 20th? If you had a close friend legally and peacefully protesting the pipeline in North Dakota right now and you knew they used Uber - would you be checking that they know this?

I reject the position that because _you_ don't really care, that it's OK to "accept" this. Even though _you_ don't care, tell Uber you do not accept this because of what it means for your sister or friends or coworkers or neighbours or your allegedly "freedom loving" society...

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

#74

Post by bogomipz »

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.

>" It may decide to do this for various reasons such a entering a geofence..."

Can you elaborate on this? Whats the connection with relaunching and a geofence?

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

#75

Post by jonathankoren »

duaneb wrote: post #59
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.

They don't need the information. They care because they are data driven and not personally culpable for their invasions of privacy. Why not collect everything you can without getting more permissions?

Data driven and being a giant Hoover isn't the same thing. One is about making decisions rationally. The other is about acquisition for acquisition sake.

Personally, over never seen any evidence that Uber actually knows what it's doing except making a shit-ton of money. Even the self-drivIng car strikes me more as a sideffext of having a bunch of money they needed to spend and it won the rock-paper-scissors contest against rockets.

Doubly so for the "ME TOO!" Doordash / Postmates competitor.

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

#76

Post by [deleted] »

duaneb wrote: post #59
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.

They don't need the information. They care because they are data driven and not personally culpable for their invasions of privacy. Why not collect everything you can without getting more permissions?

[deleted]

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

#77

Post by uabstraction »

synicalx wrote: post #55
erkose wrote: post #16

Why do we accept this intrusion into our lives?

I accept it because I don't really care if Uber knows where I am for a couple of minutes after they drop me off. Not everyone's cup of tea, but if you don't like it there's nothing stopping you from uninstalling the app.

This mindset is exactly what is destroying democracy around the world.

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

#79

Post by mahyarm »

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.

And you can turn all of those items off in the app's settings. It might be annoying although because it wont work as you want. It would be nice if apple added a general 'turn off all background activity' permission switch.

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

#80

Post by mahyarm »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #39
baumant wrote: post #5

"Uber collects your location data from the time of trip request through five minutes after the trip ends, including when the app is in the background." From source listed in the article: https://help.uber.com/h/ba9dd342-158d-421f-a9ea-0e6c7aaad726

Counting down to the FBI NSL'ing [1] Uber for persistent, warrantless surveillance... [1] https://www.eff.org/issues/national-security-letters

They don't need to, since they have the much better source of cell phone carriers with 24/7 location. And google android OS and apple to a certain extent.
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