How TrueCaller App Works???

There was a News Headline yesterday saying that: "Hackers claiming to represent the Syrian Electronic Army have reportedly hacked database of Truecaller".Between, do you know what's Truecaller? First let me explain what's all about it.

-->Truecaller is the world's largest global phone directory application for smartphones and feature phones, and accessible via a Web site, developed by True Software Scandinavia AB. It finds contact details globally given name or telephone number, and has an integrated caller ID service using Crowd-sourcing to achieve call-blocking functionality and social media integration to keep the phonebook up-to-date with pictures and birthdays. The name Truecaller comes from the app being able to show the True name of the Caller. The client is available for Android, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Series 40, Symbian, Blackberry, and Windows Phone. Now, let's learn how it works.

Know How...!!!

-->In short, people basically upload their phonebook to TrueCaller's servers which contains names, phone numbers and other details. Once the information is uploaded, TrueCaller knows which number corresponds to what name. Each person who installs the app uploads the phonebook and the overall database at TrueCaller keeps on growing. So even if you shared your phone number with only one of your friends who is a TrueCaller user, your number has been shared with TrueCaller and if you call any other TrueCaller user, you won't be anonymous.

-->It's a very simple concept that's executed very well. I have big concerns over the privacy breach this causes because your friends and relatives are sharing your phone number - something which you just cannot control.

Interesting facts about it:

-->I began searching for my friends’ land line and mobile numbers and those of my own as well, and noted a few interesting things:

• Sometimes somebody else’s name would prop up. This would probably be a previous owner, or the former name of the person in case of a name change.
• Sometimes the company name would be suffixed or prefixed to the name.

How to unlist your number from Truecaller?

Luckily, fixing this privacy issue turns out to be easy. Head over to Unlist your Phone Number to request an automatic unlisting of your number. It took a few hours for my numbers to get unlisted, and I heaved a sigh of relief after that, today.