Zomato Plans to Share Customer Contact Details with Restaurants
Food delivery giant Zomato is developing a new feature that will enable restaurants to access customers' phone numbers, according to a recent announcement by CEO Aditya Mangla. The disclosure was made through a LinkedIn post where Mangla outlined the key details of this upcoming functionality.
The feature will operate on an explicit consent basis, meaning customers must agree before their contact information is shared with restaurant partners. However, the CEO made a crucial clarification that once customers provide consent and their information is shared, they cannot withdraw this permission later.
Understanding the Consent Mechanism
Aditya Mangla specified that by agreeing to share their contact details, customers automatically accept Zomato's Terms and Conditions along with the company's Privacy Policy. This means users will need to carefully review these documents before making their decision about whether to participate in this data-sharing arrangement.
The announcement, which was made public on November 20, 2025, has already sparked discussions among digital privacy advocates and regular Zomato users. Many are questioning the implications of having their personal contact information permanently accessible to restaurant businesses once they've given initial consent.
Potential Impact on Customer Experience
This new feature could significantly change how restaurants interact with their customers. While it might enable more direct communication for order confirmations or special offers, it also raises concerns about potential marketing calls and messages from restaurants without additional customer approval.
The development comes at a time when data privacy concerns are at an all-time high in India's digital ecosystem. Zomato's move to facilitate direct restaurant-customer communication represents a strategic shift in how food delivery platforms manage relationships between their restaurant partners and end-users.
As of now, Zomato has not disclosed the exact rollout timeline for this feature or whether it will be implemented as an opt-in or opt-out system. The company continues to develop the functionality while awaiting regulatory approvals and preparing for user education about the new data-sharing arrangement.
