Keep your phone number secret while hailing Careem ride
dubai — Ride-hailing service Careem has launched a new call masking feature, which gives customers the option to keep their phone number undisclosed to the driver. The system is already live in the UAE, and in the next 30 days will be introduced to other markets, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Lack of trust is one of the key reasons keeping people off e-commerce platforms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to a 2017 CIGI-Ipsos Global Survey on Internet Security and Trust. The report showed that for 49 per cent of consumers in the region, lack of trust is a top reason for not purchasing goods or services online.
With the call masking feature in place, Careem drivers will only receive an encrypted number instead of the user’s real phone number, thus ensuring the customer’s personal data remains completely safe and unexposed.
“Ensuring the safety and security of our customers in all of the markets where we operate is our number one priority at Careem,” said Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and co-founder, Careem. “Introducing technology that simplifies their lives without compromising their privacy will remain among our key focus areas as we continue to work our way towards strengthening Careem’s position as the answer to the region’s most pressing travel-associated challenges.
“Keeping in mind the social and cultural characteristics specific to certain markets — where Careem has become the travel companion of choice for thousands of women — features such as call masking will enhance the level of trust and confidence among our customers ... We expect this feature will prove particularly popular in markets where consumer demand for privacy protection is more pronounced, such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,” he added.
Ensuring the safety and security of our customers in all of the markets where we operate is our number one priority at Careem,” Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and co-founder, Careem