Ever get the feeling that you need a legal degreeor at least, a lawyer friendjust to understand most of the privacy policies that come along with the various apps and services you use? We don't blame you. And how many of us really, truly take the time to read these privacy policies? Most people don't, but they should. How else are you going to know just what, exactly, a service professes to do with your data and/or hardware?

Uber has gone ahead and tweaked its privacy policy quite a bit, and the changes aren't just cosmeticthough some are. Not only has the company condensed its policy to make it clearer and more understandable to its users, drivers and passengers alike, but the company is also going to start asking users for a few more permissions to enable a few new, helpful features.

"So today we're publishing new Privacy Statements for both riders and drivers. These are half as long as before, with much less legal jargon. And they are available in 23 languages: the vast majority of the languages spoken in the 57 countries where Uber operates," reads Uber's blog post.

"These new statements explain more clearly and concisely what data Uber asks for, and how that data is used to provide or improve our services. For example, location data is essential to connect drivers to riders, while features like 'Split Fare' only work if Uber has access to a rider's contact details. We have also included links to our new Android and iOS permissions pages that explain the app permissions we request."

As for the new permissions that the Uber app will be requesting, Uber will likely start asking users for permission to tap into their locations in the background. In other words, finding out where they are when they aren't necessarily using the Uber app. Uber's blog post is a bit vague about what, exactly, the benefit of this would be, save for noting that it would help the company "get people on their way more quickly."

"In addition, these changes would allow Uber to launch new promotional features that use contacts  for example the ability to send special offers to riders' friends or family. In either case, users will be in control: they will be able to choose whether to share the data with Uber," reads Uber's blog post.

Uber riders and drivers can expect to receive an email at some point over the next few days that goes over the privacy statement changes in detail.

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