In a move to take care of the safety and privacy of its customers, taxi service Ola has come out with a number masking facility for its app platform. It now blocks the mobile numbers of its patrons from the drivers transporting them.
The number masking technology works by using a cloud telephony solution. When a person books a cab, their number will be encrypted through the software and get sent to the Ola driver’s phone in that format. When trying to get in touch with the user, the employee will be routed from the new number and won’t be able to see the original one.
Ola says the tool is now live for all its taxi drivers. The employees will not incur the cost of calling customers due to the new re-routing procedure taking place directly through their device. The brand is providing a further layer of protection to its consumers through the ability to trace and monitor all the calls made by its workers using archival recordings.
Ola is boasting that its number masking feature is a first for the industry and will go a long way in guaranteeing the total privacy of a person’s contact details. The company had earlier stated it was putting aside $20 million towards safety schemes in 2015. It hopes the new facility will result in reducing the risk of unwelcome behavior and enhance the privacy of its patrons.
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The tool comes at a time when Ola is facing several allegations of not handling its customer’s safety properly. A Chennai user last month accused the taxi app of leaking personal information of over 100 Bangalore customers in the form of SMSes to her. The company acknowledged the mistake only after she posted about the issue on Facebook.