TrapCall criticised for breaking Caller ID block

by Stevie Smith - Feb 18 2009, 16:00

If you’ve ever had to suffer the indignation of repeatedly fielding missed or mystery mobile calls from people hiding behind the protection of blocked Caller ID then new application TrapCall could be just what you need for swiftly removing the convenient mask of anonymity.

More pointedly, the handy technology behind TrapCall provides users with the ability to expose the phone numbers and personal identities of any incoming calls, regardless of whether they’ve applied a block ahead of dialling.

By blocking Caller ID users are able to withhold their numbers and identities when sending outbound calls by simply tapping in a simple short-digit code. Numbers and IDs can also be protected by customers instructing their service providers to do so.

Despite its apparent usage benefits, the application is raising concerns with domestic abuse campaigners who claim TrapCall could be a danger to victims who rely on blocking Caller ID when having to communicate with their abusers when dealing with incidences of child custody.

More pointedly, Cindy Southworth of the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence has said the Washington-based organisation is “quite concerned” about the appearance and possible ramifications of TrapCall.

“When Caller ID first came out, phone companies worked very closely with domestic violence advocates to make sure victims could make anonymous calls and this strips away that anonymity,” said Southworth in an ABCNews report.

In answer to those mounting concerns, the company behind TrapCall has insisted that TrapCall was created with a view to helping abuse victims always see exactly who’s calling them. The company also said it has another application that protects users by fooling Caller ID.

Access to an ID protection application clearly isn’t an adequate solution with Southworth, who said that she is advising abuse victims to have “a third party – mother, a sister or friend – make the call and not trust that their number is blocked.”

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