Viral LinkedIn post details horror as ‘Swiggy employee’ stalks ex-girlfriend via app

Rupal Madhup, a brand marketing professional from Bengaluru, on Monday shared a chilling story about her friend’s harrowing experience with digital harassment, sparking widespread concern over data privacy. According to Rupal’s post, her friend had met a man who worked at Swiggy on the dating app Bumble. After their relationship ended, the man allegedly misused his access to Swiggy’s systems to monitor her whereabouts through her food delivery orders.

He would send alarming messages based on his location, including questioning his movements at odd hours or even asking personal questions like, “Why aren’t you ordering from your own place at 2am? Where are you?”, “What do you do in chennai?” and “Asking for chocolates, are you on your period?”

The disturbing part? The woman realized the man was using Swiggy data to track her every move, sparking outrage over the possible misuse of sensitive customer information.

It should be noted here that there is no way to prove the veracity of the post or Swiggy’s involvement in the case. The company has yet to issue a statement on the development.

How are internet users reacting?

The post quickly went viral, garnering over 895 likes and 150 comments within hours. Many urged the woman to take legal action against Swiggy and her ex. One commentator, Gaurav Behl, noted that companies like Swiggy typically enforce strict privacy policies, making it unlikely that employees would access user data without violating internal protocols.

“Swiggy, like most technology companies, employs strict privacy policies and security measures to safeguard user data. It is highly unlikely that an individual employee, regardless of their level of access, could use customer data for personal reasons without violating internal protocols or facing serious consequences.Data systems in these companies are often monitored to prevent unauthorized access and privacy violations are often taken seriously, resulting in strict disciplinary action. or legal consequences,” Behl commented.

Others, such as Sanghamitra Khatu, expressed outrage at the lack of safeguards in place, saying the woman should contact Swiggy’s leadership and potentially take legal action.

Poulumi Roy, another commenter, shared his own experiences of feeling unsafe due to data privacy breaches in other apps like Mygate and NoBroker, drawing attention to India’s weak cyber security laws . “I still go through this situation through apps like Mygate, No Broker, etc. This is not a forum to discuss personal situations, so I keep my experience to myself. In short, our data is not sure, cyberbullying is common and mentally affecting. It feels weird to always be looking over your shoulder, the cyber security laws in our country are weak,” Roy wrote.

The incident has raised new concerns about the security of personal data in the digital age, particularly how it can be weaponized in the wrong hands. With growing public demand for stricter privacy measures, this case has ignited conversations about cyber security, with many calling for stronger consumer protections.