“We Are In The Business Of Trust”: Urban Company CEO Distances Platform From Pronto Home Recording Row

Urban Company’s CEO has stepped into the viral Pronto controversy, publicly clarifying that the home services giant does not record inside customers’ homes and has no plans to do so. His response comes after Bengaluru based startup Pronto faced backlash over using cameras in select home visits to train AI systems. The episode has ignited a wider debate on privacy, consent and how far tech startups can go in the name of “AI training” and safety.

With social media flooded by concerns over hidden surveillance, Urban Company is clearly drawing a bright line to reassure its large user base. The incident also puts a spotlight on India’s evolving data protection norms and the responsibilities of gig and home services platforms.  

What Sparked The Backlash Around Pronto  

The controversy began after users posted that Pronto professionals were entering homes with small outward facing cameras as part of a pilot project. The footage, according to criticism online, was being used to train “physical AI” models and robotics workflows, raising alarm about recording inside private spaces. Pronto later clarified that cameras are used only in an opt in, paid programme, cover a tiny fraction of customers, require fresh consent before every booking and are designed to comply with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection rules.  

Urban Company’s Firm Stand On Privacy  

Amid the uproar, Urban Company co founder and CEO Abhiraj Singh Bhal issued a categorical statement on X. He said the company does not engage in any such recording practices, has never done so in the past and has no plans to do so in the future. Calling Urban Company “a business of trust”, he stressed that customer privacy is paramount and that the platform remains committed to the highest standards of confidentiality, safety and trust. The message is clearly aimed at ring fencing Urban Company’s brand from the fallout of a competitor’s controversial AI experiment.  

Why This Row Matters For Home Service Platforms  

The Pronto episode and Urban Company’s reaction highlight the tightrope consumer tech firms now walk between innovation and intrusion. Using real world video to train AI models may improve automation, safety and efficiency, but doing so inside private homes without crystal clear, repeatable consent risks eroding user trust. Going forward, platforms in the home services space will likely face more scrutiny on what data they collect, how they anonymise it, how long they retain it and whether users genuinely understand what they are opting into.  

Trust And Privacy Takeaways  

• Home recordings for AI training inside private spaces trigger strong privacy concerns  
• Pronto says cameras are used only for a tiny, opt in slice of customers with repeated consent  
• Urban Company’s CEO has publicly ruled out any such recording now or in future  
• The row underscores the importance of transparency and strict DPDP compliance  
• Home service startups will be judged on how they balance AI innovation with user trust  

Sources: Recent coverage of the Pronto camera pilot controversy, Urban Company CEO’s public statement on customer privacy, and ongoing discussions on AI training, consent and data protection in home services