Without Regulation, Client Privacy in Paid Listening Services Relies on Providers' Commitment
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The phenomenon of paid listening companion services is increasingly developing alongside the rising need among the public for safe spaces to share stories.
On social media, these services are easily found with a variety of prices and communication methods, ranging from text messages to phone calls.
However, behind this ease, the lack of regulations and standards governing listening companion services means that client data protection relies entirely on the commitment of the service providers.
This condition raises questions about the safe boundaries of privacy and the risks of using non-professional services.
She claims to implement several boundaries in interactions with clients, including not opening communications outside of sessions freely. Clients who wish to continue a session are directed to make a new booking.
In addition, Noah states that client confidentiality is maintained by deleting conversation histories and not storing personal data without consent. According to her, these steps are sufficient to protect client privacy, and so far, there have been no complaints regarding this matter.
“By deleting the chat room and phone number or WhatsApp, not disseminating it to anyone, I believe that sufficiently guarantees client confidentiality,” she said when contacted on Monday (20/4/2026).
During the time she has run the service, she claims to have never received complaints about data confidentiality from her clients.
Raina (26), another listening companion service provider, also emphasises that trust is the main foundation of this service. She claims to protect client privacy by not storing any data after the session ends.
This approach is the simplest yet most important way to ensure confidentiality is maintained.
“The simplest way is by not storing their data. Chats are deleted, numbers are deleted once finished. And I never talk to others about it, even without mentioning names. For me, that’s very important, because trust is the only ‘capital’ in this service,” she said when contacted on Monday.
She also confirms that there is no documentation of conversations stored, either for personal archives or other purposes. This is deliberately done so that clients feel more secure when sharing stories.
“There is no documentation at all. I deliberately don’t store anything, because that’s what makes clients feel more secure,” she stated.