Uber Can Track Devices, Even After You Delete the App

Uber Can Track Devices, Even After You Delete the App

Uber has been in hot water for quite some time now following remarks made by the CEO Travis Kalanick that had users believing the company did not care to help employees affected by President Trump’s Travel Ban.

Quickly a protest spread across social media, users of the popular ride-sharing app urged others to delete the application from their devices as a way to pressure Kalanick into denouncing the Ban and helping those affected by it. Members of Twitter posted screenshots of their devices while deleted the app with the hashtag #DeleteUber. Over 200,000 people deleted the app, but as it turns out, it isn’t so easy to shake Uber.

Even after you have deleted the app from your device, the company can still track your location, according to recent New York Times article. Kalanick asked his employees to breach the rules of Apple by secretly identifying and tagging iPhones even after its app has been deleted and the devices erased, a technique known as fingerprinting.

When someone uninstalls an app that uses fingerprinting, it leaves behind a small piece of code that can be used as an identifier if the app is ever reinstalled on the device.

Kalanick calls it a fraud detection maneuver, but it violated Apple’s privacy guidelines. At the time, it was a good way for the company to keep track of individual phones that some drivers used to make fake accounts, boost the number of rides they accepted and make more money.

To keep Apple from finding out about the secret data stealing software, Uber engineers allegedly built a digital fence around the company’s offices.

In a meeting with Tim Cook in 2014, Kalanick found out that he and his engineers were busted. Cook threatened to pull the app off Apple’s App Store, a move that would have cost Uber millions of iPhone customers – essentially destroying the company’s business.

In a recent statement, the company says it doesn’t track users who delete the app, but also said that “being apple to recognize known bad actors… is an important security measure.”

It is unclear if Uber is still using the data stealing technique on “bad actors.”

Featured

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

  • Study: Only 35 Percent of Companies Include Cybersecurity Teams When Implementing AI

    Only 35 percent of cybersecurity professionals or teams are involved in the development of policy governing the use of AI technology in their enterprise, and nearly half (45 percent) report no involvement in the development, onboarding, or implementation of AI solutions, according to the recently released 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey report from ISACA, a global professional association advancing trust in technology. Read Now

  • New Report Series Highlights E-Commerce Threats, Fraud Against Retailers

    Trustwave, a cybersecurity and managed security services provider, recently released a series of reports detailing the threats facing the retail sector, marking the second year of its ongoing research into these critical security issues. Read Now

  • Stay Secure in 2024: Updated Cybersecurity Tips for the Office and at Home

    Cyber criminals get more inventive every year. Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve and are a moving target for business owners in 2024. Companies large and small need to employ cybersecurity best practices throughout their organization. That includes security integrators, manufacturers, and end users. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge. 3

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles. 3

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation. 3