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posted by martyb on Monday December 05 2016, @02:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the 1984-called dept.

Uber is beginning to track the locations of riders up to five minutes after a ride has ended:

As promised, Uber is now tracking you even when your ride is over. The ride-hailing service said the surveillance—even when riders close the app—will improve its service.

The company now tracks customers from when they request a ride until five minutes after the ride has ended. According to Uber, the move will help drivers locate riders without having to call them, and it will also allow Uber to analyze whether people are being dropped off and picked up properly—like on the correct side of the street.

"We do this to improve pickups, drop-offs, customer service, and to enhance safety," Uber said.


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  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday December 05 2016, @11:01PM

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday December 05 2016, @11:01PM (#437446)

    How many times have I been creeped out by a cab driver and told them to drop me off somewhere a block or two away from my final destination? More than twice, at least. I live down a long, private, shared driveway - if I'm asking you to drop me at the main road it's because I don't want you seeing my home, my cars, or anything connecting your fare to my personal life.

    I get that Uber drivers are basically hobbyists who do this for less than zero net remuneration (after you factor in the true cost of driving to the fare and driving away, including insurance, maintenance and depreciation of the vehicle.) That really doesn't give the "Uber Corp" any license to get valuable data from me without my consent. I guess if I ever do hail an Uber, I'll be bringing along a conductive sack to slip my phone into after the ride is over.

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