Uber says iPhone app's alleged 24/7 tracking really fault of iOS Maps extension
Uber says that the iOS Maps extension is to blame for its iPhone app appearing to track location days or weeks after a person's last ride, rather than any deliberate snooping on its part.
"For people who choose to integrate ride sharing apps with iOS Maps, location data must be shared in order for you to request a ride inside the Maps app," an Uber spokesperson told TechCrunch. "Map extensions are disabled by default and you can choose to turn them on in your iOS settings."
Recently a number of non-daily riders discovered a gray arrow next to Uber under Settings > Privacy > Location Services, indicating that the app had been accessing their location within the past 24 hours. This immediately raised concerns that despite promises, Uber was monitoring people around the clock, intentionally or otherwise.
Indeed similar worries came up in November, when the company announced that its app would extend data collection to five minutes after a dropoff, as a means of refining both dropoff and pick-up accuracy. The company has also had more concrete incidents of abuse, such as spying on reporters, and staff using the company's software to stalk celebrities and ex-girlfriends.
The problem described by Uber could in theory apply to any app integrated with Maps, including its biggest competitor in the U.S. -- Lyft -- as well as apps that don't depend as heavily on real-time location, like OpenTable.
"For people who choose to integrate ride sharing apps with iOS Maps, location data must be shared in order for you to request a ride inside the Maps app," an Uber spokesperson told TechCrunch. "Map extensions are disabled by default and you can choose to turn them on in your iOS settings."
Recently a number of non-daily riders discovered a gray arrow next to Uber under Settings > Privacy > Location Services, indicating that the app had been accessing their location within the past 24 hours. This immediately raised concerns that despite promises, Uber was monitoring people around the clock, intentionally or otherwise.
Indeed similar worries came up in November, when the company announced that its app would extend data collection to five minutes after a dropoff, as a means of refining both dropoff and pick-up accuracy. The company has also had more concrete incidents of abuse, such as spying on reporters, and staff using the company's software to stalk celebrities and ex-girlfriends.
The problem described by Uber could in theory apply to any app integrated with Maps, including its biggest competitor in the U.S. -- Lyft -- as well as apps that don't depend as heavily on real-time location, like OpenTable.
Comments
Are you kidding???? It's pretty scary how you have been conditioned to think it's reasonable for a company to track you to see were you go for five or ten minutes after they drop you off. Wow. This is how we will eventually descend into the panopticon society that many fear. Google is pushing the hardest to get us there, but it's alarming how many people have already ceded so much of their privacy to large multi-national corporations. Many of those same people would have a fit if the government wanted to do it, but the government at least has some oversight (not that I would support it in any way) whereas Uber and Google have none. They get to keep your information forever and essentially do whatever they want with it. Sad.
2) You can disable any and all location tracking in Settings » Privacy » Location Services.
Uber lost $800M in Q3.
Some have speculated that Apple's Project Titan will focus on ride-sharing, not ownership of electric vehicles. If so, I hope that Apple has a better financial model than Uber.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-20/uber-s-loss-exceeds-800-million-in-third-quarter-on-1-7-billion-in-net-revenue
Additionally, tracking user's locations for an additional five minutes is an invasion of one's privacy. It's essentially the equivalent of you going into a store and then having somebody follow you for the next 5-10 minutes after you leave. Just because it's digital and you don't have an actual person following you, doesn't make it any more acceptable.
That's all fine and dandy, but how is Uber getting Apple Maps to work here in India? AFAIK, they must be using Google Maps here since Apple Maps still doesn't provide directions.
Of course, given that it is the same app everywhere, we also only have the "Always" and "Never" options.
But, wherever the fault lies, it is a pain to turn on Location Services before booking a ride and then turning it off manually once the ride is completed. Uber can blame Apple Maps, but them removing the "While Using" option for tracking raises a lot of red flags.