Due to security concerns, India to block the We Phone app.
The Intelligence Bureau of India (IB) has requested the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) to block the ‘We Phone’ application as it poses a serious security risk to the country. The application uses Voice Over Internet Protocol to communicate, like Skype and Viber, but has the additional ability to hide the caller’s information.
The application is currently available for download in the Google Play store and Apple’s App store. The application allows users to make calls to mobile phones, which is an inexpensive means of calling when compared to calls made over a cellular network.
The biggest concern for the IB was that the application allowed users to make spoof calls by hiding the caller id. This way, pranksters and other criminals could get away with any activity that may be used to harm someone.
Once a person downloads the app, they must verify their phone number. After this is done, the user has the option of disabling their caller id.
In the free version of the app, the caller id that appears on the receiver’s screen starts with +1777, but in the paid version a user can define what number they want to be displayed on the receiver’s screen.
As the servers of ‘We Phone’ are located outside of India, it becomes harder for security agencies to track the location of the caller. However, at present the application is currently available on both the App store and the Play store.
