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Ola’s number masking feature hides rider contact details: Privacy

Online cab aggregator Ola has introduced a feature called ‘number masking’ where the user’s number will not be disclosed to drivers, and calls made by the drivers will be recorded and stored by Ola, across its operational cities in India. According to its press release, the company has integrated a cloud telephony solution which sends an encrypted number to the driver, and after a user books a cab, all further communication from the driver is routed through the cloud number. Apparently, the driver will not have to pay for the calls that he/she is making, given that they’ll be routed via cloud. Ola mentions that other features include live GPS tracking, ride details sharing and its in app SOS button, which, interestingly, sends an alert to an emergency contact (whose number and email ID must be verified), giving the user’s location, cab and driver details. Note that its competitor Uber has an Incident Response Team which receives a notification every time an Uber user presses the in app SOS button. The team receives details of the rider and the driver, after which it responds to the alert, the company’s Karun Arya told us in an interview.   Last week, Ola, which raised $225 million in a round of funding from existing investors and new investors, launched a cab leasing program for drivers which would let drivers lease a car for a deposit and monthly lease payments, with an option to own the vehicle after 3 years. The company said that…

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I'm a MediaNama alumna from 2015-16 (remember TinyOwl?) now back to cover e-services like food and grocery delivery, app based transport and policies, platforms and media in India.

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