According to The New York Times, Uber had installed code that could continue to identify individual iPhones even after the app had been deleted, against the rules of the App Store. This did not track activity or location but meant that if the Uber app was downloaded, those at Uber could see if the app had been installed and deleted previously, a procedure banned by Apple due to privacy concerns.

“‘So, I’ve heard you’ve been breaking some of our rules,’ Cook said in his calm, Southern tone. Stop the trickery, Cook then demanded, or Uber’s app would be kicked out of Apple’s App Store,” read The New York Times article on Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's face-to-face meeting with Apple chief executive Tim Cook. 

Read also: Uber taps into Bali’s tourism potential with new feature

So that those at Apple could not discover the tagging technology, Uber reportedly "geofenced" Apple’s California headquarters.

Uber continues to track its active users but has changed previous code to comply with Apple’s terms.  

"We absolutely do not track individual users or their location if they’ve deleted the app," an Uber spokesman told The Telegraph. "As The New York Times story notes towards the very end, this is a typical way to prevent fraudsters from loading Uber onto a stolen phone, putting in a stolen credit card, taking an expensive ride and then wiping the phone -- over and over again.” (sul/kes)

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