It isn’t so much that you should delete one specific ridesharing app, but that it’s important to take certain steps when you DO download and use Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing apps so that you can avoid possible privacy breaches.
According to Norton, ridesharing services do have their issues, because they’re not regulated. All of the info they need about you comes directly from your phone — AND there’s plenty of info about you right there on your device.
According to Norton: “Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft rely on GPS-enabled smartphones, since their apps need to know the location of both drivers and ride requestors. However, if riders don’t turn off location access after completing their rides the app could potentially track and collect data around the clock on where the user is, where they go, and, sometimes, even how long they stay there.”
And there’s another privacy issue: some of the apps require that you sign in using your social media account passwords and logins. The very act of doing that gives those apps total freedom to access the information you have on your Facebook or other social accounts.
Unfortunately, data breaches can happen — and when they do, your personal and financial information can be compromised.
So, how can you protect yourself? According to Norton, there are two important steps to take prior to downloading a ridesharing app:
Research each company for any online reviews or news stories about them to get a better sense of the company charter, culture, attitudes, and any worrisome issues that customers may be discussing.
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, examine the privacy policy of each app. Yes, doing so can be a cumbersome task as there is a lot of information to go through, but the information you find should be clear about the company’s intent to use your data. If there is anything you do not feel comfortable with, do some more research or look into other service providers.