Pune: 21-Year-Old Woman Raises Data Privacy Concerns After Rapido Rider Messages Her on WhatsApp
Reported by Shoaib Tadvi
Pune, 10th November 2026: A 21-year-old woman has raised concerns over passenger safety and data privacy after allegedly receiving a personal WhatsApp message from a Rapido bike taxi rider following a journey from Swargate Metro Station to Kondhwa.
According to the woman, she had booked a Rapido bike taxi to travel from Swargate Metro Station to Kondhwa. During the journey, she noticed that the rider was repeatedly staring at her and allegedly driving at high speed. His behaviour made her uncomfortable, but she initially assumed that such riding practices were common and did not raise an objection.
However, shortly after the ride ended, she received a personal WhatsApp message from the rider. She also alleged that the rider had followed her, further raising concerns about her safety.
The incident prompted her to question how the rider had obtained her personal contact number and why customers’ private information was accessible to bike taxi riders.
According to Rapido’s privacy policy, the company shares customers’ names, pickup addresses and contact details with its Captains (riders) to help them locate and contact passengers. However, the woman questioned the need to share customers’ actual phone numbers, pointing out that such information could potentially be misused.
She expressed concern that sharing passengers’ personal contact details could expose women and other customers to unwanted messages, harassment and privacy violations. She suggested that passengers’ actual phone numbers should remain confidential and that communication between riders and customers should take place through a secure, privacy-protected system within the app.
Following the incident, the woman lodged a complaint with Rapido. The company reportedly assured her that the rider’s ID would be suspended.
The incident has brought renewed attention to the responsibility of app-based transport companies to protect customers’ personal information. While riders may need access to essential trip details to complete bookings, safeguards must be in place to prevent the misuse of passengers’ contact information.
The complaint also raises a broader question about accountability: When a passenger books a ride through an app-based platform, who is responsible if their personal information is allegedly used to contact them for purposes unrelated to the service?
