Is my Uber two minutes away? No…it’s just Uber’s new pop-up ad feature

Uber has turned to advertisers to increase profits. It was recently announced that Uber has launched a new advertising division that focuses on placing Uber ads in other apps. 

Now the mobility service platform has turned its coat inside-out, offering its platform as an ad venue for other companies. Uber users noticed the new notifications over the weekend and began raising their concerns on Twitter. 

The main problem was that the ads kept on popping up on the main screen even as users weren’t using the app. This is an alarming aspect for a taxi app as people might confuse these pop-ups with accidental car orders. 

Uber spokesperson attempted to soften the situation by claiming that this was a limited test. Unfortunately, no further information has been provided and it is not really clear as to how many users took part in this “test-drive” and whether or not it was actually a test run.

According to the previous information on Uber’s ad policy – the company essentially offered advertisers the opportunity to advertise during three points of the trip – upon entering and leaving the car, as well as in the middle of the ride. Advertisers also obtain information on the person’s travel history, so as to mold their content more fitting to the user.