In a disturbing incident, which expressed concern over passenger safety and confidentiality, a woman Uber user in India alleged that she received unwanted and inappropriate messages from a Uber driver on WhatsApp. Known as Kannan, the user took to the social media platform X (East Twitter) to share his experience, questioned the riding-hyling company’s privacy policies and its platform safety for women.
According to the screenshot shared by Kannan, the driver messaged him on WhatsApp, in which he mentioned the previous ride taken in Kochi. When he asked the driver why he was contacting him, he allegedly asked him about the perfume he used during the ride.
Kannan expressed frustration and alarm in a post on X, tagged Uber India and wrote, “Are ****** @uber_india how bad your privacy settings are?” A Uber driver gives me a message on WhatsApp and asks me a scary question. How safe are women seriously ???
This is not the first time Uber has faced an investigation on passenger safety. This incident has raised serious questions about how the driver received the personal contact information of Kannan and whether Uber’s privacy protocols are sufficient to protect the user data. Uber’s policies usually ensure that the drivers and passengers communicate only through the app, in which the phone numbers are masked to maintain confidentiality.
Reacting to the post, Uber India said, “Hey Naveen, we get how driver cancellations can disrupt your plans. Share the details.
As reported by India Today, Uber clarified that the phone numbers of riders and drivers are unknown to all trips and cannot be accessed directly through the Uber platform. In this example, the driver allegedly received the phone number of the rider through the UPI Payment App. Uber reiterated that after the journey contact has been strictly banned under its policies, and due to this violation of community guidelines, the driver’s reach on the platform has been permanently removed.
