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Did you know that Truecaller, the app that claims to protect you from unwanted calls, threatens your privacy? It somewhat goes against intuition, but you should be concerned about sharing your phone number through Truecaller and learn how to keep your number private.
Why Truecaller Is a Privacy Issue
Truecaller markets itself as acaller ID and spam-blocking app, making it easier to figure out who is calling you and whether to ignore it. However, some aspects of Truecaller’s data collection raise significant privacy concerns.
Truecaller’s data access extends beyond just your contacts. When you install Truecaller on your phone, the app also requests permission to access your call logs and messages, and you cannot use the app unless you grant these permissions. Understandably, an app focusing on phone call tracking would need some data, but it also raises concerns about whether such extensive data collection is necessary for its core functionality. Moreover, access to your call logs and messages could give the company detailed insight into your communication patterns and personal life.
In September 2022, a US-based firm,Viceroy Research, publisheda detailed report criticizing Truecaller for collecting excessive user data and evading privacy regulations. Even if Truecaller doesn’t directly sell data, there’s always a risk of breaches or leaks exposing your phone number, messages, and communication logs to unauthorized parties.
How to Unlist Your Phone Number From Truecaller
The good news is that Truecaller makes removing your phone number from its database easy. If you have used or are currentlyusing Truecaller on your phone, you must first deactivate your account before unlisting your phone number. If you haven’t used Truecaller before, you can skip the deactivation step and proceed directly to the unlisting process.
To deactivate your Truecaller account using your Android device, iPhone, or iPad, use these steps:
Once you’ve deactivated your account, you’re able to unlist your phone number to ensure your contact information does not appear in the Truecaller database. Here’s how to do it:
Truecaller won’t allow you to unlist a phone number if it is marked as spam in their database.
It’s important to note that it may take up to 24 hours for your phone number to be completely removed from the Truecaller database.
While Truecaller offers convenient features for identifying callers and blocking spam, the trade-off in terms of privacy is significant. If you are uncomfortable with the level of access Truecaller has to your data, it’s best to opt out. If necessary, there are several otherways to identify unknown callersandblock spam on your phone.
