Uber is about to get a whole lot more personal, as the company has just revealed that it aims to bring location-based sharing to the application.
After the recent PR catastrophe that saw several Uber employees spying on a Buzzfeed reporter and high-profile venture capitalist, the company has undergone an external review of its privacy policy to ensure better security for members of the public. This includes stringently detailing the types of data and information which the application collects from its users.
The policy now says that the app will soon allow drivers to track your location if the user allows it. The service is an opt-in method, meaning it can be disabled at any time. However, Uber themselves has claimed that by allowing the service, it allows a much faster pick-up as the driver knows your exact location. For example, there is now the option of drivers meeting you along the way, rather than driving to the pre-determined meeting location you specified within the app.
The new Privacy Policy takes effect on July 15th, so expect to see some new app permissions pop up on your device when it goes live. If you don’t want to use the new location-based service then don’t worry, the application will still work without it.