Uber nearly got its app kicked off Apple's App Store

[Becky]

Unbeknownst to its users, Uber has been tracking them even after they deleted the app from their iPhones. Since this breaks the rules for apps available on Apple's App Store, Tim Cook had stern words with the company and told them in no uncertain terms that if the practice did not end then Uber would be kicked off the store.

The tracking referred specifically to a tool that allowed Uber to watch for when people deleted the app and then find them again when it was re-installed. Uber claims that the tool was necessary to fight against fraud and that it is a common practice – but it was in contravention of Apple's privacy laws and was kept completely secret from the users being tracked.

The trick relied on a special tool called "fingerprinting" that allowed Uber to identify the phones that downloaded its app. When someone then deleted it again, it kept that "fingerprint" and watched for it downloading the Uber app over again – allowing the company to know if it had been re-installed on the same phone.

Read more here.

 

[V_R]

Wait. They weren't tracking users who deleted the app as that title of the article implies. thats a badly written clickbait style article. IMO.


EDIT: A reply from a Reddit post that explains it very well....

"What they appear to have done is take a digital fingerprint of the phone when the app was installed. This could then uniquely identify the same phone if the app was later reinstalled after being deleted. So no, they're not tracking the location or identity of people who do not have the app installed as the headline implies.

What they are doing is tracking the identity of individuals who reinstall the app, in ways that Apple does not approve of. It means nothing if you use the same login and/or credit card anyway, but it seems like they're trying to prevent people who are banned from Uber get around the ban by reinstalling the app.

On the one hand, yes, they are obviously using methods that Apple doesn't approve of to uniquely identify phones - and Uber was being super-shady to mask their behavior from Apple. On the other hand, I think Apple is over-restrictive and there are positive advantages to being able to uniquely identify a phone (in this case: for permanently banning abusive or violent customers for the safety of your drivers; for other apps, perhaps so users can have their account restored without needing a login.)"

 

[TriplexDread]

But apple can track everything you do. One rule for one

 

[floppybootstomp]

Whilst Uber results in cheap fares for us it also treats its drivers bad and pays them peanuts. It has also put many established mini cab firms out of business.

This doesn't seem right to me although some would argue the ways of 'free enterprise' to justify the whole situation.

Apple are even worse than Microsoft with their greed and secrecy so Uncle Flops says:

"To hell with the both of 'em "

 

[Becky]

Wait. They weren't tracking users who deleted the app as that title of the article implies. thats a badly written clickbait style article. IMO.

Agreed, I chose my quote carefully

 

[V_R]

You did indeed.

Check out your link again, seems Andrew Griffin has redone the article to reflect what actually happened now.

Shame its still got the original title here: http://www.independent.co.uk/author/andrew-griffin

Honestly, I do wonder about some of these 'reporters' sometimes...