A leading mobile security firm is warning User users about a new app update that enables the ride-sharing app to track users’ locations whenever the app is running.
Sophos says version 3.222.4 brings into play a controversial change in the company’s privacy policy announced way back in 2015.
“Uber has put that into practice and is now tracking your location constantly if you’ve got the app running in the background,” writes Lisa Vaas on the Sophos blog.
“Oh, and it’s also asking that you always share your address book. Until now it had only collected your location data if you had the app open.”
The firm is advising that users turn off Uber’s ability to run in the background on your iOS and Android devices if you don’t want the company to access your whereabouts.
Here’s how you can turn off the location sharing for Uber:
- Android: Settings > Apps > Uber > scroll to “Permission” > toggle “Location”
- Android Lollipop (5.1) and earlier: Settings > Location > toggle Off
- iOS: Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Uber > choose “Never”
Of course this means you’ll have to manually input your location and chosen destination, but it could be a small price to pay for protecting your privacy.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
