Very interesting, thanks for replying and the link. While I agree that given the nature of the data they capture, it makes sense that they receive a little add

Very interesting, thanks for replying and the link. While I agree that given the nature of the data they capture, it makes sense that they receive a little additional scrutiny -- this more feels like someone had the idea of how the data could be misused, then discussed the idea with a various security folks who (unsurprisingly) said, "Well.. yeah, now that you mention it, this COULD be a problem." In other words, feels like the writer was making the news here and not reporting it. And to an extent that's legitimate. I question the need to approach it in this way though - making a one-sided story of it instead of working with Uber to see if they're aware of this as a potential issue, determining what steps they're taking to prevent it, etc... As far as how Uber is using the data they've acquired - it seems they've hit that painful point that every long-term startup does. They've evolved past the point of a small group of folks with an idea, and need to adjust to a new reality. That includes reining in some of their "ooh, pretty data! let's play with it!" impulses, because of the privacy implications and because of the implicit trust their users place in them. I would expect a couple of high profile hires and some policy statements to be forthcoming as they mature.