Bengaluru startup Pronto, under fire for recording videos inside customers’ homes to train AI, clarifies

Pronto, a Bengaluru-based startup providing home services, has responded to criticism over company professionals recording videos inside customers’ homes

Pronto, a Bengaluru-based startup providing 10-minute home services, has responded to criticism over company professionals recording videos inside customers’ homes to train AI. Concerns about privacy were first raised on the social media platform X, where a journalist claimed that Pronto staffers were using “small outward-facing cameras during select opt-in jobs” as part of its investor’s Physical AI vision.

FILE PHOTO: Laxmi, an employee with Pronto cleans a house with a broom in New Delhi, India, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra/File Photo (REUTERS)

“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,” journalist Harsh Upadhyay wrote.

The post got over 2 lakh views and sparked a conversation on AI and privacy concerns.

Pronto’s clarification

Pronto, a startup founded by 23-year-old Anjali Sardana, responded to the criticism saying no professional records anything without the customer’s explicit permission.

Pronto also said that if customers choose to opt out of the AI training programme, the professional does not bring a camera to their home. It further said that the practice is fully compliant with India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, and the company’s competitors are also recording inside customers’ homes.

In a post shared on X, the Bengaluru-based startup wrote: “Unless you have opted-in and paid for the program personally, the Pro doesn't come to the house with a camera.

“Opt in is not one time, it has to be affirmed before each booking. By default there is no camera involved, and when there is, it's impossible to miss. The pilot reaches 0.1% of customers and we spent months to ensure full DPDP compliance. And we are not the only company in the space doing this,” it explained.

What is Pronto?

Pronto is a platform that connects users with trained domestic workers. Users can book slots through its app for services like sweeping, utensil washing, kitchen and bathroom cleaning, mopping, laundry and other household chores. The Bengaluru-based startup has hit a $100 million valuation in less than a year since its launch.

Anjali Sardana is the 23-year-old founder and CEO of Pronto. She launched the startup in April 2025. Before launching the startup, she worked at Bain Capital and venture firm 8VC, and studied at Georgetown University in the US.