Ride-hailing has become a prominent service used by Filipinos in recent years, as it allows people to book rides easier than when flagging one on the streets. It has also provide job opportunities and additional source of income for those who want to make better use of their private vehicles. As our transportation and traffic situation isn’t that great, many Filipinos rely on these services, hence the everyday demand for bookings, especially during peak seasons, such as December.
But now, passengers might have to think twice before getting too comfortable in the back seat of these private taxis.
In a now-deleted tweet on X (formerly Twitter), a Filipino social media user shared on December 20 his discovery of a public Facebook community of driver-operators where one taxi driver, who’s part of the group, shared their client’s personal information such as travel destination, names, and even their faces.
Many users were disturbed by this unpleasant discovery, prompting some to personally check the public group for the particular post, to which it confirms to show the taxi driver (who is currently under investigation) sharing a photo of his ‘clients’, with a caption revealing transaction information, advising fellow operators to be “wary” of the clueless client as the driver was unsatisfied with the fare.
Some have managed to screengrab a post of one rider who posted his passengers’ faces without their consent.
There were fellow drivers who did condemn his behavior, saying that they were taught about data privacy during their seminars.
Sharing of passenger data and fare haggling are not actions not permitted by any ride-sharing operator in the country.
The concerned service company provider, which this group was named after, has since replied to the OP, saying that this behavior is against their guidelines, and will conduct a thorough investigation to hold the taxi driver accountable if proven to be registered under their company.
Hello, Joshua. In line with our commitment to the safety of both our driver-partners and passengers, Grab strictly upholds data privacy on the platform. Our driver guidelines clearly state the expected decorum around passenger handling, which includes [1]
— Grab Philippines (@grabph) December 20, 2023
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