Uber sometimes tracks your iPhone location long after closing the app, blames iOS for it

Love it or hate it (or merely tolerate it where and when traditional taxi services just won’t cut it anymore), you have to admit Uber is both a global phenomenon and a legitimate concern for many people for a number of reasons.

Legality, security, unfair competition, data privacy, you name it, Uber’s faced flak for all of them and more. While the latest controversy definitely feels like a lightweight compared to, say, driver rape scandals or questionable surge pricing, it’s always unpleasant for an Internet business to be on the wrong end of a user tracking online debate.

Especially when a reported “glitch” is essentially deemed a feature by the ride-hailing product’s spokespersons, with no “fix” in sight. Yes, it may occasionally seem like Uber is keeping an eye on your location hours, days or even weeks after you actually use the alternative transportation app, close it and leave it untouched.

But apparently, that’s because “location data must be shared in order for you to request a ride inside the Maps app”, as per Apple’s new default iOS stipulations. Otherwise put, it’s your iPhone’s fault if you feel constantly followed. How can you get your privacy back? Simply don’t integrate Uber with iOS Maps or, well, switch to Android.

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Google brings Waze Carpool pilot to San Francisco, but Uber has nothing to worry about

Not another barely legal so-called ridesharing service to stir the traditional taxi pot. Well, no, because off the bat, Google appears to be enforcing strict rules and regulations for the Waze Carpool program, consisting of a free Android and iOS Waze Rider app, to ensure its drivers aren’t tempted to quit their day jobs.In fact, this specifically targets people who use their personal automobiles first and foremost to get to and from work in the morning and evening, pairing them up to save everyone a little money, and support a “greener commute.”Only available across the greater San ...

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Google brings Waze Carpool pilot to San Francisco, but Uber has nothing to worry about

Not another barely legal so-called ridesharing service to stir the traditional taxi pot. Well, no, because off the bat, Google appears to be enforcing strict rules and regulations for the Waze Carpool program, consisting of a free Android and iOS Waze Rider app, to ensure its drivers aren’t tempted to quit their day jobs.In fact, this specifically targets people who use their personal automobiles first and foremost to get to and from work in the morning and evening, pairing them up to save everyone a little money, and support a “greener commute.”Only available across the greater San ...

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Lyft isn’t selling itself, blames Uber for connoting such rumors

Ride-hail company Lyft is not looking for a buyer, the company’s President said.John Zimmer broke his silence on potential mergers & acquisitions to dispel reports from Bloomberg and The New York Times to claim that Lyft was approached with offers, not the other way around — at least, it has never actively sought a new owner. That said, Zimmer wouldn’t confirm that Lyft had hired Qatalyst Partners in order to handle incoming offers (Qatalyst plotted the Microsoft and ...

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Lyft sought a buyer with $9 billion and Uber claims it’s only worth $2 billion

Number two ride-hailing app Lyft has been looking to better compete with top dog Uber while fending off newer transit startups like Bridj. And so, after nine funding rounds and a company valuation of $5.5 billion, it went to look for an owner.Would General Motors increase its investment of Lyft to a controlling stake? Nope. According to Recode‘s sources, it didn’t make a ...

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Uber strikes the right note with its drivers by offering six ad-free months of Pandora

In the fierce battle for music streaming supremacy, the world’s most popular ridesharing service isn’t keen on taking sides, instead playing nice with both Spotify and Pandora. After letting riders assume backseat DJ duties via the former app for a couple of years now, Uber finally turns its attention to drivers as well, integrating the latter’s ad-free Internet radio resources directly into the Uber Partner app.All “partners” in the United States, Australia and New Zealand have to do is connect their phones to the car’s Bluetooth or AUX, set the stereo as needed, tap the ...

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Mass shooter looks for $10 million in Uber lawsuit: drivers “are peasants and pawn pieces”

As the US continues to mire in frequent mass shootings, we’ve seen mobile technology play its role, be it as a fulcrum for a larger legal issue or — in this case — the alleged trigger for a man to suddenly start shooting passersby.Jason Dalton, an alleged mass shooter, filed a federal civil rights suit against ride-hailing company

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Uber gets family-friendly with new shared-payment-method option

On-demand ridesharing is one of those industries that just never would have taken off in the way it has, had it not been for the rise of smartphones. With little more than our phones, an app, and the will to get somewhere else, we can have drivers on their way to pick us up in just a matter of minutes. Already this week we’ve seen Google update Maps to make ridesharing services an integral part of its transit options, and now we’re learning about a new feature that’s coming to ...

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Google Maps gets serious about ride sharing with new providers, fare breakdowns

Google Maps may have really come into its own when it began offering drivers turn-by-turn navigation seven years ago, but it’s come a long way since then, and its feature set has really expanded to address the needs of users who still need to get around, but don’t necessarily have access to their own vehicle. From public transit info, we’ve seen such support expand to ...

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Spotify and Uber team up to let you control your ride’s music

Do you Uber? For a growing number of smartphone users, convenient transportation’s just a couple taps away, with services like Uber ready to hook them up with local drivers. And while taking advantage of such services may prove to be a lot easier than owning a car of your own, you give up a fair degree of freedom in the process: how many of us treat our cars as our personal listening booths, surrounded by speakers and ready to rock out to our favorite tunes? Now a new partnership between Uber and

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