Review Uber and Lyft rider privacy controls

Check rider location and sharing separately

For Uber, inspect the app's location permission in the phone's settings. Uber documents manual pickup and destination entry when location is denied. Its While Using option can still include an active trip and some safety or fraud circumstances. Check the pickup details carefully if automatic positioning is limited. The driver's trip record still exists. Uber: rider phone location and trip records

Uber's notice directs riders to Account > Settings > Privacy, then Location sharing, for location-related choices. Review the difference between device collection, sharing live location with the driver, and emergency data sharing before confirming a change. These choices serve different purposes. Uber: rider notice and retention

Review Lyft background location and optional permissions

1. In Lyft, open the main menu > Settings > Privacy > Background location sharing. Review whether it is off, continues through the ride, or stops at pickup. The help page says the driver still supplies trip location. Lyft: rider permissions and background location
2. Review contacts and calendar access if they were enabled. Contacts are optional. For Apple Calendar, Lyft documents Settings > Privacy > Connect calendars to get reminders, then the device Calendar permission. Check the displayed permission before changing it. Lyft: rider permissions and background location

Review advertising choices in each service

Uber's Privacy Center provides separate ad personalization and Data Sharing controls. Review both the use of past activity for ads and sharing with advertising or measurement partners. Disabling one does not mean every advertising use or contextual ad has stopped. Uber: ads and data-sharing choices

Lyft's additional-states notice describes Settings > Privacy > Your Privacy Choices > Share my Information. It also describes legally applicable browser opt-out signals, such as Global Privacy Control, for information linked to that browser and associated profiles. Different browsers or profiles need their own signal. Available rights depend on the applicable law. Lyft: local rights and app sharing choice

Lyft's public Sharing Opt Out page has a separate cookie advertising choice. It warns that clearing cookies or using another browser or device may require opting out again. Review the signed-in account choice and browser choice separately rather than assuming either automatically covers every device. Lyft: website cookie advertising choice

Check records and consequences before account deletion

Lyft's help links to its data privacy page for an account-data copy, including ride history and a DataDictionary. It says data is unavailable after account deletion. Download only if a copy is needed and store it appropriately. A deletion request affects both rider and driver accounts, is irreversible once completed, and may be limited by trust, safety or fraud issues. Its stated aim to respond within 30 days includes possible written extensions. Lyft: data access and account deletion

Uber's help documents Account > Settings > Privacy > Account Deletion. It describes immediate deactivation followed by account deletion after 30 days, restoration if signed back in during that period, and loss of unused credits, promotions and rewards. A linked Uber Eats or Driver account using the same details is also affected. Read the current retention notice separately: the account timeline does not promise erasure of all retained records. Uber: account deletion consequences

Lyft similarly provides app and web deletion routes, but the consequences and retained information require a separate review from location or advertising preferences. Account deletion is an optional decision with service consequences, not a necessary step for reading the available privacy controls. Lyft: data access and account deletion