[Alterlife]

This article focuses on the problems that truecaller poses for 'non-users". As a non-user of truecaller in India myself, I find myself in the minority. It seems I get none of the benefits (improved spam filtering, the chance to see who is calling me), and in the 'prisoners dilemma' sense, it appears I would loose nothing by installing it, because they already have my contact information.

However, this is only half the picture.

If you install truecaller on Android, you're handing over ALL your personal information to them. The list of permissions they ask for is ridiculous. They ask for access to your sms messages, call log, contacts, file system, location, microphone, camera, everything. They also show you advertisements wherever possible.

[abtom]

If you're a non-user and do not wish your information to appear on the app, you can unlist your number here - https://www.truecaller.com/unlisting

Though I do not agree with the method where as a non-user I need to manually opt-out of the service, it does seem to work. My number is no longer visible on the app.

[enitihas]

I tried using the unlisting UI, but it says I need to install the app and deactivate my account before unlisting. When I install the app, it refuses to run unless I grant it all sorts of permissions. So it seems before unlisting, I need to give truecaller my data. This absolutely ridiculous.

[martynthewolf]

Im not sure if this is something available only in the UK/EU but I was able to login on the website https://www.truecaller.com/ and deactivate the account in my settings there, then successfully unlist my number.

--edit. I should read slower. I see you aren't an existing user. That is indeed BS.

[bscphil]

It said that for me too, and I've never had an account. I kept trying and it somehow worked on the fourth try. The format I used was "+1xxxxxxxxxx" for the number, not sure if that made any difference.

[antisemiotic]

Outside of some legal recourse if that's possible where you live, have you tried installing it on an emulator and just giving it some garbage data?

[Abishek_Muthian]

I had given a garbage name for my number as I knew for sure others who have my number in India have uploaded it to Truecaller (as in OP article). It displays the Garbage name for everyone for my number.

[avaika]

It worked for me just from the site. I've never used the app before, never had it installed.

[enitihas]

I was finally able to unlist successfully by installing truecaller on my iPad where it didn't ask for any permissions forcefully, deactivating my account, and then unlisting. Previously I was using my android phone.

[fuzz4lyfe]

Same here. Another dark pattern is they require the country code, they could have inferred it from my IP and auto populated it or had a list of countries via a dropdown instead they bury that the country code is required in a paragraph and disable the button if the phone number lacks it. At very least enable the button and pop up a error message if the country code is lacking. How many non technical users will give up with this form? I suspect many of them.

[g_sch]

I don't think it's the case that your country code can be reliably inferred from your IP. When I lived in Europe, I had a German phone number but was frequently living/working in other countries.

[innocenat]

But, like, the search form at the top of the page has autopopulate country code.

[fuzz4lyfe]

I didn't notice that, that means it's a one liner to auto populate the form. Great work guys.

[grive]

Unlisting does not mean that the info is removed.

If they have full access on anyone having installed the app, it means they also have mined the conversations with your contacts.

So they might not advertise what they know anymore, but the privacy concern remains anyway.

[kkarakk]

Yes but atleast you're not visible to others edit: so in order to use this, you have to install the app - "deactivate it" and only then will it accept the unlisting. Fucking bs

[lotu]

BS but I imagine this is how they verify you own the number and prevent a rival app from executing a denial of services attack on them by unlisting everyone’s number.

[harsh3195]

This could also have been done using a simple OTP and on the number.

[dwighttk]

The "Unlist Phone Number" button never becomes useable for me on that page, even after completing the google captcha

edit: Make sure you put a "+" in front of your country code

[dontbenebby]

They seem to have banned my IP (an Algo VPN instance on a pretty reputable web hosting provider which I just use for normal, reasonable web browsing). Not cool.

[6ak74rfy]

> If you install truecaller on Android, you're handing over ALL your personal information to them.

That's what I remember too but the article said Truecaller only gets non-user's information when a user tags them so. Maybe the app behavior varies with the country the user is in.

[kevinguh]

pardon me if I'm a bit out of the loop, but my understanding was that Google planned on revoking all app access to SMS messages and call logs on Android as of the beginning of this year -- does this not apply to TrueCaller?

[Kuraj]

Honestly I would happily give them some of my personal information in exchange for their service. The problem is that information in my address book, SMS, call log etc. is not just mine.

[siegecraft]

The good news is you can turn off most of those and truecaller still works. I just checked and I only allow it access to Contacts, SMS and Phone which, given the purpose of the app, seems appropriate.

[ildon]

This is one of those cases in which the GDPR is very nice to have as a European citizen