Truecaller Data Breach History & Privacy Concerns Explained
Every person needs the protection of their data, which is why more than a million people trust Truecaller, but during some years, this app has been leaking data and has completely lost its security system. In which years it has been leaking data, its details are given below, which you can see so that you also get to know how many issues were faced and what data came to light.
What Data Does Truecaller Actually Store?
Before looking at the process of leaking data, you should know which data the Truecaller app secures.
- Complete account investigation and name settings
- Essential and non-essential phone numbers
- Location setup
- Details of the Android network
- Social media links
When the use of the app is wrong, the chances of leaking this data are higher.
Major Truecaller Data Leak Incidents
The details of which years Truecaller leaked data are given below.
2013 – Website Hack Incident
In 2013, Truecaller’s server was hacked by an army company to hack the data, but the company kept telling users that the password was not hacked; this was an early warning.
2019 – Security Flaw Exposure
In 2019, Truecaller app’s data was leaked, in which data of more than 100 million users came to light. Along with numbers and locations, names were along with company names and emails; their social media IDs were also along. This data came to light after being leaked.
2016 Android App Security Vulnerability Explained
In 2016, a flaw appeared in the Truecaller Android app, due to which millions of people were affected; after this, the company secured the system further, otherwise wrong use of the phone’s IMEI could be done, and phone number and gender address could be easily found through this.
2020 Truecaller Database Leak Explained
In 2020 it was the month of May; some data from the Truecaller app were released in which every number that was saved or not, details, names and tags of these numbers came forward; users and non-users both were included; this kind of data also came to light again.
July 2024 Data Exposure – 273 Million Records Revealed
In 2024 also, Truecaller’s data was shown, which people of India used to share records with each other; all records came to light. This data was shown because in 2019 rules were violated.
Other Notable Truecaller Security & Privacy Issues
There was also such a time in which a security researcher team found such a flaw inside the Truecaller app that could expose users’ data, but the location was still shown.
After this, the makers of Truecaller corrected its mistakes and made its security system strong; otherwise, at this time, a lot of users’ data could have come to light.
Risks of App Data Leaks You Should Know
When your personal data comes to light, many problems have to be faced.
- Fake messages keep coming
- Spam calls keep coming
- Fraudsters try to deceive
- When location comes forward, privacy leaks
- These issues come when number, locations, and emails are available
Privacy Risks of Contact Uploads Explained
This app uploads your contacts’ data to the server, even for those who have not signed up for Truecaller.
To handle all these processes, the GDPR authority of Sweden has started an investigation.
Important Instructions for Users to Stay Safe
If you follow the rules given below while using Truecaller, you can stay safe from dangers:
- Keep updating your privacy settings regularly
- Refrain from sharing call details
- If a call comes from any unknown number, stay alert to it.
- Your emails should not come to light
- These are the steps; by acting on them, your precious data can remain secure.
