To jog your memory, we had last month reported that Uber has started collecting the user’s location data in the background but only for five minutes after drop-off. There has been further build up over the problem which has seen users report that the ride-hailing giant is constantly tracking their location even when the app hasn’t actively been used for days or weeks. But the company has today dispensed a statement to pacify the user’s privacy concerns.
A report from DaringFireball had recently intimated users of the said problem (which isn’t exactly one, you’ll learn soon). In a blog post, he stated that many users have navigated to their iPhone’s settings and realized that the Uber iOS app has checked their location just recently. It shed light on an iOS feature that would enable users to check if the company was really tracking their location for just five minutes post drop off or not.
In the phone’s settings, the users have the option to see which apps have access to location data. This feature was discovered by John Gruber of DaringFireball, who mentioned that if one navigates to Settings –> Privacy –> Location Services then they’ll able to see an indicator next to apps which have recently accessed your location. This indicator appears purple and gray depending on the access which was either recent or in the last 24 hours respectively.
Users tried out the said method and found out that their location had been accessed by the Uber app in the last 24 hours. Yeah, a lot of gray indicators turned up in the settings but not everyone was seeing the problem. Still, the access to location data is concerning for users as they believe that Uber is stalking them and is aware of their location at most times. It makes them realize that the company is overstepping the boundaries, intruding in their internet lives, and they felt uncomfortable sharing the location data with them. Some – as usual – voiced their views on Twitter.
But Uber has today released a statement clarifying that the said behavior is being triggered by the iOS Map extension which Apple provided access to developers earlier this year. The company further adds that neither the iOS app has been updated nor there is a bug in the same. It is a consequence of recent location services update which is based on Apple’s protocols. In a statement, a spokesperson says,
For people who choose to integrateride sharing apps with iOS Maps, location data must be shared in order for you to request a ride inside the Maps app. Map extensions are disabled by default and you can choose to turn them on in your iOS settings.
Thus, the gray indicator is expected for other applications using Apple’s new Maps extension in their applications. Thus, one cannot term it as a bug in the cab aggregator’s application but instead as a feature made available to developers by Cupertino.
