iOS 11 Empowers Uber Users by Enabling the Choice of Opt-Out From Persistent Location Tracking

Uber, the globally recognized ride-hailing application, has found itself embroiled in numerous controversies throughout the year, one of which involved intrusive location tracking. Early this year, the tech giant began continuously tracking the location of its users, even when they were not actively using the application. This location data was captured tirelessly by Uber, despite any user input or control. Initially, Uber had provided options to either permit or refuse location tracking services. However, this user-centric approach faltered as users found themselves stripped off this choice, hence landing them in a predicament.

This unfair predicament involved Uber’s insensible continuous location tracking, causing significant ‘app-use’ limitations. The users found themselves with no other option than to acquiesce to Uber’s indomitable policy of non-stop location tracking.

With the launch of iOS 11, Apple introduced innovative features designed to empower its users. One of these was an option to limit any application’s access to continuous location tracking when an app is running. This is a significant stride in user data privacy protection, irrespective of app developers’ preferences. As long as an app operates on Apple’s latest flagship iOS software, the users can effectively control the usage of their location data.

This innovation spurred Uber to update their own application to adapt to the new user-friendly operating system. With the updated version of the Uber application within iOS 11 environment, the users can unambiguously choose whether they want to share their location or deny the location tracking request from the app. This choice can be conveniently accessed from the device settings, which is as simple as selecting ‘Always’ or ‘Never’ within the location settings.

Most applications originally defaulted to an “always-on” location sharing feature, which enabled the app to access users’ location round-the-clock. However, the introduction of iOS 11 grants users the option of “when-in-use” authorization, even if app developers default to the ‘Always-on’ setting. As clarified by Apple via their development site, “[T]hese features were designed to alleviate confusing permissioning options, and should address some of the privacy concerns people had about Uber overstepping their bounds.”

For those who have concerns about the unauthorized sharing of their location due to the “always-on” feature, upgrading to iOS 11 might be the right step to take. It’s time to give your privacy concerns a permanent rest by downloading the new operating system iOS 11, and exercising control over your location data.