Privacy group asks FTC to limit location, contact sharing in Uber's mobile apps
A non-profit public interest group on Monday filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, asking it to investigate Uber over policies that could soon add extra contact and location tracking permissions to its ridesharing apps.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center is primarily concerned with the location-tracking permissions, which it said will allow Uber to track users even when its apps are running in the background, Bloomberg reported. Uber's position is that users will be able to opt out of both the contact and location changes, and/or disable location services on their device. EPIC argued however that Uber can still use IP addresses to record location data, and that while iPhones can disable contact sync, it's not an option on Android.
In a statement, Uber said that it doesn't collect background location data and isn't planning to when its new privacy policies take effect on July 15. In a May blog post, however, the company said that policy updates would "allow Uber to ask for access to a rider's location when the app is running in the background and get people on their way more quickly."
It also explained that the contact permissions will enable promotional features such as sharing special offers with friends and family.
Uber has come under intense media and government scrutiny for many of its business practices, including a lack of taxi licensing, and classifying drivers as contractors rather than employees. On the matter of privacy, the EPIC complaint drew special attention to the company's "God View" tool, which allows corporate-level Uber staff to see the location of each car and passengers' travel histories.
In November, BuzzFeed accused an Uber executive using God View to stalk one of its journalists. A now-deleted Uber blog post from March 2012 mentioned the company tracking "rides of glory," meaning trips between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. on a Friday or Saturday night followed by a ride home four to six hours later.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center is primarily concerned with the location-tracking permissions, which it said will allow Uber to track users even when its apps are running in the background, Bloomberg reported. Uber's position is that users will be able to opt out of both the contact and location changes, and/or disable location services on their device. EPIC argued however that Uber can still use IP addresses to record location data, and that while iPhones can disable contact sync, it's not an option on Android.
In a statement, Uber said that it doesn't collect background location data and isn't planning to when its new privacy policies take effect on July 15. In a May blog post, however, the company said that policy updates would "allow Uber to ask for access to a rider's location when the app is running in the background and get people on their way more quickly."
It also explained that the contact permissions will enable promotional features such as sharing special offers with friends and family.
Uber has come under intense media and government scrutiny for many of its business practices, including a lack of taxi licensing, and classifying drivers as contractors rather than employees. On the matter of privacy, the EPIC complaint drew special attention to the company's "God View" tool, which allows corporate-level Uber staff to see the location of each car and passengers' travel histories.
In November, BuzzFeed accused an Uber executive using God View to stalk one of its journalists. A now-deleted Uber blog post from March 2012 mentioned the company tracking "rides of glory," meaning trips between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. on a Friday or Saturday night followed by a ride home four to six hours later.
Comments
I would like to see Apple universally change location settings options in iOS 9 to either "Never" or "While Using".
The problem is the "Always" permission. There is no reason that apps like Uber, MapMyWhatever, Waze, etc. need to know where I am 24/7, nor do they need to be using up battery life (via the GPS radio) in the process.
To go with that, I'd also like to see a kill-all-running (and non-running) apps feature. Or at least a kill-all-background-apps-with-GPS-access feature.
I would like to see Apple universally change location settings options in iOS 9 to either "Never" or "While Using".
Learn how to use your phone.
Settings>Privacy>Location Services> Toggle each app as needed or completely turn location services off!
Learn how to use your phone.
Settings>Privacy>Location Services> Toggle each app as needed or completely turn location services off!
That is a lot less convenient than the other user's suggestion
That is a lot less convenient than the other user's suggestion
Right, because having control over what individual apps can use location services or turning them all off is not convenient at all. I sometimes forget that I live in a world where you can't please everyone. More accurately "anyone" these days.
This the creepy part which people have no clue about. These idiots we so bold to post what they were actually doing, now imagine what Google is doing. As some said, any App which has MapMy**** you should be concerned about, they all know your daily habits. I am really getting tires of these apps which I pay for collecting information about me. Not only are they charging me for the privilage they also monitorizing the data and not sharing it back with people. If they give the app free and tell you the plan to make it up by collecting data that is one thing but they are not telling people that is the plan.
I would like to see Apple universally change location settings options in iOS 9 to either "Never" or "While Using".
The problem is the "Always" permission. There is no reason that apps like Uber, MapMyWhatever, Waze, etc. need to know where I am 24/7, nor do they need to be using up battery life (via the GPS radio) in the process.
To go with that, I'd also like to see a kill-all-running (and non-running) apps feature. Or at least a kill-all-background-apps-with-GPS-access feature.
Apps don't use the battery checking location data in the background. They all share the data from the location frame. Apps don't even have to read it in real time, they can grab the history of where you were when they launch or are called on. If one app asks the data is good for all. If your phone has a motion chip it's even better and uses even less power.
Right, because having control over what individual apps can use location services or turning them all off is not convenient at all. I sometimes forget that I live in a world where you can't please everyone. More accurately "anyone" these days.
The user is most likely aware of that feature judging by him already mentioning the "while using option" The problem comes when the apps only offer a "never" and "always" rather than the one in between (for example the Target app).
You shouldn't have to proactively manage access each time you use an app if you want it to have location services while using but not when you're not using it
The user is most likely aware of that feature judging by him already mentioning the "while using option" The problem comes when the apps only offer a "never" and "always" rather than the one in between (for example the Target app).
You shouldn't have to proactively manage access each time you use an app if you want it to have location services while using but not when you're not using it
If it's not available in the Location Services, it wasn't developed as part of the app. Apple isn't to blame for that, the app is.
"You'll worry less about what people think about you when you realize how seldom they do." -David Foster Wallace
Learn how to use your phone.
Settings>Privacy>Location Services> Toggle each app as needed or completely turn location services off!
Learn how to research a topic before opining on it. Some apps only provide a choice between always and never, omitting the "while using app" option. While this may be ok for some apps (such as the Apple Store app which provides context-aware info when visiting their stores) it's not ok for apps like Bing, which has no business tracking my location, especially when the app is not in use.
I would like to see Apple universally change location settings options in iOS 9 to either "Never" or "While Using".
Learn how to research a topic before opining on it. Some apps only provide a choice between always and never, omitting the "while using app" option. While this may be ok for some apps (such as the Apple Store app which provides context-aware info when visiting their stores) it's not ok for apps like Bing, which has no business tracking my location, especially when the app is not in use.
Maybe you should practice your own research before commenting on others! He wanted an option for "Never" I showed him how to do that! Not all apps support the "while using" feature.
I would like to see Apple universally change location settings options in iOS 9 to either "Never" or "While Using".
Quote:
Maybe you should practice your own research before commenting on others! He wanted an option for "Never" I showed him how to do that! Not all apps support the "while using" feature.
Bzzt! Sorry, try again. He wants Apple to force developers to offer only "never" or "while using", rather than "always."
So now you're reading even less "Location settings options" and interpreting his desires, not to mention the name calling you rightly edited out in you original reply. Very adult. I stand by my previous comment.
So now you're reading even less "Location settings options" and interpreting his desires, not to mention the name calling you rightly edited out in you original reply. Very adult. I stand by my previous comment.
You can stand by your comment.
I stand for useful ideas of improving our lives. So how to do it in this case?
There are some good apps which offer only 'Never', and 'Always' choices. But we want more.
We want that Apple would require every app to use either 'Never'+'While Using' or 'Never'+'While Using'+'Always' combinations. (And not allow the usage of 'Never'+'Always' combination.)
And FYI - the app doesn't actually have to be written to support this. Apple could, if they wanted to, make this possible based entirely on user choice - but for now, they've chosen to allow the app developer to issue an all or nothing ultimatum. "Always" makes sense for some apps - for example navigation apps, Passbook, Weather, etc. It does not make sense for apps like my Bank, the local Pizza chain, Google or Avis to use my location "Always" although it might make sense to allow them to use my location when I actually launch the app and am using it in the foreground.
Anyhow - learn how to read, learn some manners, and learn how to contribute in a positive way. If that's not possible, just learn how to shut up.
I'd actually like one additional option that I could set on a per app basis. I would like to be able to generalize my location. Instead of providing the app with my actual GPS co-ordinates, I would like to have my location randomized within a 1, 5 or 10 mile radius - so the app can know what city, or even what neighbourhood I'm in - but not the actual address. I would be a lot more okay with providing "Always" access to my location if my location were randomized to show me somewhere within 5 miles of my actual location.
Right, because having control over what individual apps can use location services or turning them all off is not convenient at all. I sometimes forget that I live in a world where you can't please everyone. More accurately "anyone" these days.
The main issue is the binary choice of ALWAYS or NEVER, when for many apps there's that third option "Only When the App is running"