Pronto Faces Privacy Backlash Over Alleged Use Of Home Footage For AI Training

Pronto is under scrutiny after allegations that the Bengaluru-based startup could be using video footage of customers’ homes to train artificial intelligence and robotics systems.

The controversy started when X user Harsh Upadhyay alleged that some Pronto service professionals were using body cameras facing outwards during some customer bookings, CNBC TV18 reported.

The claims allege the allegations are connected to an internal memo from investor Glade Brook Capital, which reportedly said that Pronto was trying to formalise India’s informal labour market while collecting data to train “physical AI” and robotics systems.

The memo also suggested the company was already testing real-world training data with physical AI labs.

The claims quickly went viral online, sparking issues around surveillance, customer privacy and the use of domestic environments as training grounds for AI systems.

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Check out the claim here: 

Important: How Pronto is turning Indian homes into training grounds for its investors’ Physical AI vision

Did you know? Pronto professionals use small outward-facing cameras during select opt-in jobs, and customers receive the footage afterward.

=> In an internal memo, Glade…

— Harsh Upadhyay (@upadhyay_harsh1) May 22, 2026

AI Privacy Concerns:

Founded in April 2025 by Anjali Sardana shortly after she graduated from Georgetown University, Pronto runs a home services platform connecting households with domestic workers for services such as cleaning, mopping, dishwashing, laundry and meal preparation.

The company says it now has about 18,000 bookings a day, compared with 1,000 bookings a year ago.

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Physical AI, as defined by the industry, refers to AI systems that are designed to operate through machines and robots in real-world environments. It requires huge amounts of practical training data to perform tasks such as cooking, cleaning and household assistance.

Following the controversy, Pronto issued a statement on X explaining that service professionals only have cameras on them during bookings where customers have opted into the programme.

“Unless you have opted in and paid for the program personally, the Pro doesn't come to the house with a camera,” the company stated.

Pronto said consent is reconfirmed before every booking and added that the pilot currently covers only 0.1 percent of its customer base.

The company says it automatically blurs faces and identifying information, no personally identifiable information is uploaded or shared and all footage is deleted within 48 hours.

“We have spent months to comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act in India,” the startup said, adding that other companies in the sector are already looking at similar practices.