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posted by martyb on Thursday November 03 2016, @04:46PM   Printer-friendly
from the privacy-takes-another-hit dept.

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-uber-privacy-20161102-story.html

Uber is taking its ride-hailing app down a new road in an effort to make it smarter, simpler and more fun to use. The redesigned app also will seek to mine personal information stored on smartphones in a change that could raise privacy concerns, even though it will be up to individual users to let Uber peer into their calendars and address books. The change represents the biggest overhaul in four years to Uber Technologies Inc.'s popular app, which is used by millions of people to summon cars in more than 450 cities around the world for rides that are usually cheaper than traditional taxis.

[...] In another time-saving move that will test how much users trust the San Francisco-based company with their personal information, users will be able to give the app access to their calendars so addresses listed in an entry can automatically appear in the Uber app near the time of the appointment. Uber plans to introduce this option by next month. Starting in December, Uber will also seek access to users' personal contacts so they can ask for a ride to wherever a friend currently is. If this feature is activated, Uber's app will contact the friend to ask if he or she is willing to share the current location. If the friend doesn't have the Uber app, the request will be sent through a text message to the mobile number listed in the address book.

Uber says it doesn't expect privacy objections because users will have to agree to allow the app to scan their calendars and address books. And people whose locations are being sought through the new address-book feature will be able to decide whether they want to share the information.

Also at The Verge, CNET, and WSJ.


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by quacking duck on Thursday November 03 2016, @06:10PM

    by quacking duck (1395) on Thursday November 03 2016, @06:10PM (#422167)

    In my city, I'm told (since I don't use it myself) that the rates have gone up significantly, perhaps as a result of having to conform with new legislation that actually favours them (at the expense of taxis) but imposes new regulations. A ride that used to cost $10 now costs $17, during a lazy Sunday morning.

    There was a lot of pent-up anger against taxis that let Uber establish a foothold in the market, but moves like this will mean people like me might avoid trying it altogether, while existing customers re-evaluate their loyalty to them.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 03 2016, @09:18PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 03 2016, @09:18PM (#422250)

    embrace, extend, extinguish.

    embrace - uber recognized the need for a "better" taxi service and created one.
    extend - they extended the concept of the taxi service to include the app service with location to better serve their customers.
    extinguish - eliminate the local taxi services by out-competing them. Uber now controls the market.

    • (Score: 2) by zafiro17 on Friday November 04 2016, @02:14AM

      by zafiro17 (234) on Friday November 04 2016, @02:14AM (#422342) Homepage

      That's right - Uber is aggressively subsidizing Uber drivers to keep the prices artificially low. Once they've caused Lyft to melt down, and caused the Taxi universe to implode, expect price hikes. But already legislation that makes Uber pay a lot of the same fees that Taxis do is causing the price to creep upward. If the US govt decides to require Uber drivers to pass FBI background checks (the way taxi drivers must) expect this spunky start up to have some significant growing pains.

      I'm all for driving innovation - there are tons of lousy taxis out there. But I've been rescued in taxi when Uber & friends failed me, too. It's not quite "good guy newbie vs. crusty old incumbent."

      --
      Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis - Jack Handey
    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 04 2016, @03:41PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 04 2016, @03:41PM (#422506)

      embrace, extend, extinguish

      embrace - sure Uber is welcome in our community as a competitor.
      extend - as long as they have to follow the same laws and regulations from national to local as anyone else (most of which were actually initially initiated for public health and safety reasons)
      extinguish - Uber leaves most cities where this becomes any meaningful reality

      (requiring any Uber driver to maintain and provide proof of maintenance of a commercial vehicle insurance policy on the vehicle they use to drive (as collected by Uber and forwarded to the government) should more than do it.)