Truecaller, the service which helps users with the details of unknown mobile numbers, today announced its own instant messaging (IM) platform, namely, Truecaller Chat. With this service, Truecaller is aiming to make communication safer and to prevent fake news from circulating. Furthermore, the IM platform will allow users to report links, ensuring that fake news is not circulated unchecked by users. Of course, it makes complete sense for Truecaller to launch a platform like Truecaller Chat because fake news in India has been on the rise since the rapid adoption of social media portals in the country.
Truecaller Chat: What Exactly is it?
In the past, Truecaller allowed its users to stay away from spam calls and messages through Caller ID and SMS Inbox features. Now, Truecaller is taking it to next level with the Truecaller Chat IM. The primary aim of Truecaller Chat is to curb the spreading of fake news.
Truecaller users will be able to mark website links as spam if they suspect it to have incorrect information, which will alert other users whether to click the link or not. Furthermore, Truecaller stated that it would also integrate machine learning and use the aggregated spam reports to predict any upcoming viral trends.
Truecaller Chat: Features
Truecaller also detailed features of its first IM platform. Truecaller Chat comes bundled with interesting features such as auto-switch between SMS and Chat, which will help users keep conversations in one place. Other features include full media support and more, which are said to provide its users with a polished and enjoyable experience.
Commenting on the launch, Rishit Jhunjhunwala, VP Product at Truecaller, said, “As a one-stop communication platform, our IM service will help our users connect and also collaborate to combat the issue of spam. We’re confident that this foundation stone will help build a strong spam-free community.”
Fake News Has Become a Thing in India
Right now, the biggest problem for the Indian government is how to stop fake news spreading. The primary source for fake news circulation is WhatsApp, while some other people will also spread the news via standard text messages. Very recently, the Supreme Court has asked social media portal such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram and so on to take necessary actions on how to limit fake news spreading.
WhatsApp has already rolled out the spam link detection feature on its portal which scans a link and marks it as suspicious if it detects anything unusual. Now Truecaller Chat is also aiming to do the same, but for standard SMS users.
Truecaller Chat has been rolled out to Android users on October 1.
