How Uber Uses iOS Geofencing to Trigger Notifications Despite Restricted Location Permissions
Privacy-conscious users have expressed concern after receiving Uber notifications upon arriving at airports, despite setting location permissions to 'while using the app' only. This article by ESET WeLiveSecurity investigates the mechanism behind this phenomenon, revealing that Uber is not secretly tracking users in the background. Instead, the app utilizes Apple's UNLocationNotificationTrigger feature, which allows developers to set up geofenced areas. When a device enters a predefined region, such as an airport, the operating system locally triggers a notification without sharing real-time location data with the app. The actual location share occurs only when the user taps the notification and opens the application. While geofencing has legitimate uses for safety or smart home functionality, the author argues that employing it for commercial advertising constitutes an overreach that undermines user privacy choices. The article suggests that Apple should tighten regulations on location-triggered notifications to prevent their use for monetization, ensuring they remain limited to functional, user-serving purposes rather than intrusive marketing tactics.
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How Uber Uses iOS Geofencing to Trigger Notifications Despite Restricted Location Permissions
Privacy-conscious users have expressed concern after receiving Uber notifications upon arriving at airports, despite setting location permissions to 'while using the app' only. This article by ESET WeLiveSecurity investigates the mechanism behind this phenomenon, revealing that Uber is not secretly tracking users in the background. Instead, the app utilizes Apple's UNLocationNotificationTrigger feature, which allows developers to set up geofenced areas. When a device enters a predefined region, such as an airport, the operating system locally triggers a notification without sharing real-time location data with the app. The actual location share occurs only when the user taps the notification and opens the application. While geofencing has legitimate uses for safety or smart home functionality, the author argues that employing it for commercial advertising constitutes an overreach that undermines user privacy choices. The article suggests that Apple should tighten regulations on location-triggered notifications to prevent their use for monetization, ensuring they remain limited to functional, user-serving purposes rather than intrusive marketing tactics.
WeLiveSecurity