In case you haven't already switched to a new method of getting around town, this might help to cement your decision. Uber has published an update to its privacy policy and it includes a loophole so wide you can drive an entitled black SUV through it.
Only a day after BuzzFeed published a report that Uber SVP Emil Michael described hiring "oppo researchers" to investigate the personal lives of reporters who were critical of the company and had accessed the profile of one BuzzFeed reporter, Uber has updated its privacy policy. Here's the new policy, straight from Uber's blog:
We wanted to take a moment to make very clear our policy on data privacy, which is fundamental to our commitment to both riders and drivers. Uber has a strict policy prohibiting all employees at every level from accessing a rider or driver's data. The only exception to this policy is for a limited set of legitimate business purposes. Our policy has been communicated to all employees and contractors.
Actually, let's just stop reading right there. Because considering what Uber has already revealed to be "legitimate business purposes" I would say that anything which follows that line is completely negated. It's pretty clear Uber is going to continue doing whatever the hell it wants. [Uber]