Transportation company Uber finally released a patch to fix a system glitch that left passenger trip details easily accessible through Google searches. The glitch, which provides full trip information including addresses, has raised privacy concerns from Uber users.
According to Slash Gear, the glitch was part of Uber's Share My ETA feature which was launched way back in 2013. This feature allows Uber users to share the progress of their trip.
If users chooses to use the Share My ETA feature in the Uber app, they will receive a link that contains a map showing the route taken and final destination as well as the time it takes to reach it. Users also have the option to share this link with other Uber users or in their social network accounts.
According to Engadget, Uber has already pulled down the trip.uber.com domain which contains searchable information gathered using the Share My ETA feature. This will make sure that all the information from the database cannot be accessed publicly.
Uber's solution was to tweak its system so that all links will automatically expire after 48 hours. Many tech experts were still skeptical about the fix since anyone can still access the link before it expires. Uber has yet to confirm whether it will release subsequent patches in the future to completely fix the glitch.
When the Share My ETA flaw was exposed, many Uber users were concerned that their privacy was breached. Despite personal information, such as work and home addresses, were publicized not a single credit card information was shared.