By Dipo Olowookere
Truecaller has launched its instant messaging (IM) platform called Truecaller Chat aimed to make communication safer to prevent fake news from circulating.
The IM platform will allow users to report links, ensuring that fake news is not circulated unchecked by users.
With social media’s rapid adoption globally, the menace of fake news has been on the rise. Even the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, in his Independence Day speech, advised that information spread via social media should be scrutinized.
Truecaller has helped erode spam calls faced by users through Caller ID and also strengthened SMS inboxes by filtering unwanted messages. As a step to curb the spread of erroneous information, Truecaller, with help from its community, has launched this service as a shield against viral messages sent on its instant messaging platform.
Users will be able to mark website links as spam if they suspect them to have incorrect information, which will then help chatters make a more informed decision about what information is false. With time, Truecaller also plans to apply machine learning and use the aggregated spam reports to predict any upcoming viral trends.
Additionally, Truecaller Chat is 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 that will provide its users 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.”
By providing a messaging service with capabilities to tackle fake links, Truecaller is taking a big step towards curbing the problems caused by spam and false information going viral.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Adedapo Adesanya