(UN)TRUE-CALLER
One fine day I saw an application
in my friend’s mobile I asked “what’s that?” She said “this application is
known as Truecaller”. Truecaller!!! I got surprised what is this app is all
about, I also downloaded this app in my blackberry handset. After downloading
and running this app I discovered that we can check which number belongs to
whom and there is also a facility to block a number from calling us. Suddenly
my mobile rang, I had a call from an unknown number but this app identified
this number for me and it displayed whose number was it. A bit strange but
quite interesting!
I was wondering for days
together, how this app works? After a lot of thought process and some internet
search I found out that it just sucks the whole phone book data of every
Truecaller app user’s phone. This phone directory is then uploaded on the
server of Truecaller. So, whenever any anonymous number calls you will be able
to view the name of that person.
Eg: Suppose we are a group of
three people. I (Navjeet) am the first one to install this app and I have the phone
numbers of the other two members (Dolly-College & Prince-Office) fed in my
contact book (in the manner specifies in the earlier brackets). Then the second
person installs this app and does not have the third person’s number in his phone-book When the second person will dial the third person’s number,
truecaller will display it as the name whatever is fed in my phone-book (Prince-Office).
I wonder how many people have
been using this application and losing all their personal contact database. Well
on a serious note Truecaller is very dangerous app, because all the data of
your mobile is easily accessible by the app makers, that could even include
your saved passwords, emails, etc.
So, whenever you exchange your contact
number with only one of your friends who is a True Caller user, your number has
been shared with True Caller, a so called GLOBAL DIRECTORY and if you call any
other True Caller user, you won't be anonymous anymore.
In spite of so many negative
features, this app does have some good points to catch on as well.
This site gives the user an
option to opt-out from the site’s database. This means that particular user’s
name and number won’t be available on the app to search for.
Also this app, helps us to decide
whether to attend a call from an anonymous number or not as it displays who is
calling us. Moreover it also helps us to block unwanted callers.
The application website though
states that their date is crowd-sourced. That is, they have partnerships with
companies like Yellow Pages (India) and also some data is contributed by the
users themselves.
And apparently, India is one of
their largest market!
[1.6
Million Indian Users and growing]
This blog is part of IT assignment given by
Prof. Arun Kumar V Waghchoure, as mention on website www.tigriinnovations.com My Name: [Navjeet Kaur Bons],
Roll No.: [115], Batch: [Aug 2012]
