Privacy warning: London-based Wheely said authorities are seeking to hoover up information about users of transport apps
A taxi app has warned that journey data being sought by foreign governments could reveal the ‘intimate’ details of people’s lives.
London-based Wheely said authorities are seeking to hoover up information about users of transport apps.
The firm says tracking information can reveal someone’s home address, where they work, how often they visit their GP and other details about their daily schedule.It has sounded the alarm with the UK Information Commissioner, in particular over a dispute with Moscow’s transport department.
Russians deny asking for information but wants live location data for ‘purposes of health and safety, traffic analysis, and infrastructure planning’.
But Wheely has refused to hand over the data saying it ‘goes beyond what is necessary in a democratic society’.
As a result its operations in the city were temporarily suspended in August.
The city government in Los Angeles has also faced criticism from Uber and civil rights groups for demanding real-time tracking data for electric scooters, and the Metropolitan Police prompted concerns when it emerged it receives thousands of pieces of data from Uber each year.
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