From PC Mag: In a bid to improve privacy and restore user confidence, Uber is axing a controversial tracking feature that allowed the company to keep tabs on riders after their trip ended.
Reuters on Tuesday reported that the app-based car service will no longer track passengers' locations after they have been dropped off, unless the person specifically allows the company to do so.
The change comes after Uber in November quietly started collecting user data "from the time of trip request through five minutes after the trip ends." On its Help forum, Uber said it does this to "improve pickups, drop-offs, customers service, and to enhance safety."
Now, as the company tries to rebuild its image in the wake of a very public sexual harassment scandal and executive shakeup, it's ending that practice. An upcoming update "restores users' ability to share location data only while using the app," Reuters reported.
The update is expected to start rolling out for iPhone users this week. Uber also plans to pull the post-ride location tracking feature from its Android app at some point in the future, but there's no word as to when that will happen.
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