The big news is streaming in as the ride hailing giant Uber Technologies has called it game over for a harshly and negatively criticized attribute in its app where the riders associated with a ride can be tracked for a time frame of up to five minutes once a trip is over. This was mentioned by one of its executives in a report to Reuters. This signifies to be the cleanup process associated with the giant as it tries to patch up its negatively reviewed standing related to protection of the rider’s privacy.
This move which ensures that the users can share only the present location information in the event when the app is being manipulated will be rolled out this week for the iOS users. This move is evident as the company tries to distance itself from the turmoils and issues associated with the resignation of its co founder and former CEO Mr. Travis Kalanick along with other executives from the company.
Reliable sources have mentioned that the travel-booking company Expedia Inc’s CEO Mr. Dara Khosrowshahi is about to take up the role as Mr. Travis’s successor to the throne as mentioned to Reuters.
As noted by Joe Sullivan who is the brand’s chief security officer, the move is not in phase with the shifting and variations associated with the top of the brand. Sullivan and his passionate team of 500 people are striving hard to augment the aspect of customer privacy with the brand ever since his association with the brand 2 years back.
Sullivan has been a part of the team which manages Uber ever since Kalanick departed 2 months before. Since the official bidding was in place, the company was making full efforts to bypass the recent issues which plagued it previously.
Previously in the November of last year, there was an update regarding the removal of the aspect of users being able to restrict data gathering when the app was being manipulated. The user base was restricted to opting for Uber to accumulate the location data or never asking it to assimilate them in the first place.
Uber later noted that a request was needed to assimilate the relevant information so as to get to trail the riders for a time frame of 5 minutes after the trip ended. This was done due to the assumption that it would ensure the rider’s safety. Noted was that the feature to eliminate this process of rider tracking was done by manually feeding in the pickup locations and the destination addresses.
This was subject to intense backlash and huge disapproval flowed from all corners indicating that this was a violation of the individual rights by some users. This issue is in when Uber already faces backlash and pressure for accumulating and manipulating user data. In response, Uber noted that the aspect of post trip trailing was never subject to inception for the iOS users and it was removed for the Android equivalents.
Sullivan admitted that the brand fumbled with the notion of accumulating the user information sans giving insight how they would be beneficial for the user base in favor. Provided the aspect that Uber contemplates that rider location tracking done post 5 minutes after the ride is very much worthy and important, the brand will elucidate as to the worth of the feature and will permit the rider base to prefer and choose the option.
Further mentioned by Sullivan was that Uber was dedicated to the aspect of privacy but however it was impacted with insufficiency related to prowess and skills associated with the same.
This revamping takes place two weeks after the brand settled with a complaint raised by the Federal Trade Commission which claimed that Uber was shirking its responsibilities to secure the confidential details related to the rider base and the driver base. It also mentioned that it was up to some trickery related to its ventures to tackle the aspect of probing and spying with its associated people.
Uber with respect to the case gave the approval to make an audit for every two years in the subsequent two decades so as to be in terms and abiding by the FTC needs.
The location tracking aspect modification would be first rolled out to the iOS users and Sullivan noted that the Android users will see the changes soon enough.
He concluded that such ventures are related to campaigns undertaken by Uber in the following year so as to enhance the aspects of privacy, lucidity and the safety associated all stemming from the brand itself.
