Overview
- Zomato has begun rolling out an in-app prompt asking users to allow restaurants to receive their phone numbers for marketing updates, with the screen noting that once shared the information cannot be withdrawn.
- CEO Aditya Mangla said only phone numbers will be shared and only after explicit consent, describing the rollout as an early-stage feature with no automatic sharing.
- NRAI confirmed final-stage discussions with Zomato and similar talks with Swiggy, following a precedent set by Rapido’s Ownly through its agreement to share data with restaurants.
- Political and public criticism mounted over privacy and potential spam, with figures such as Milind Deora and Suhel Seth urging strict opt-in safeguards aligned with India’s DPDP rules.
- Key issues remain unresolved, including how withdrawal rights will work under DPDP, what limits and enforcement will govern restaurant use and retention of numbers, and whether sharing could expand beyond phone contacts.