The latest attack on individual privacy comes courtesy of quasi-legal ride sharing app Uber, which will release an update to their app the week of July 15th that will track your location even when the app is not running in the foreground, a ‘feature’ Uber says is supposed to help “get people on their way more quickly.”
Another way to put it is that it’s a blatant privacy invasion.
Uber has played fast and loose with user privacy in the past, showing at fundraising meetings a secret dashboard which allows its employees to spy on VIP users and where they’ve come and gone.
The new settings would allow the company to spy on users 24/7.
But tracking you 24 hours a day, seven days a week isn’t enough for the super-aggressive company – it will also force you to share your contacts with Uber, allowing the ridesharing company to spam your friends, family, and other contacts with “special offers”, according to a recent blog post.
The stunning abuse of privacy comes at an odd time, as there have been countless privacy-related scandals at the company. In addition to its ‘god view’ dashboard it has also posted data about users’ “Rides of Glory“, or Ubers taken after one-night stands.
The company has set up an email address to answer your privacy questions: [email protected].
We highly encourage all Americans to let them know how you feel about being tracked all day every day by your taxi company.
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