Truecaller says Nigerians can remove their numbers from its app after court ruling

Truecaller says any Nigerian who doesn’t want their name and number on its caller-ID service can remove it using its unlisting tool. This comes after a Lagos State High Court ruling on a privacy case against the company.

The case was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Data Privacy Lawyers Association, on behalf of people who don’t use Truecaller but still had their names and numbers show up on it. Truecaller gets these details when users upload their contacts.

On September 14, the court rejected Truecaller’s argument that a user’s permission to upload their phonebook also covers everyone in it. In the court’s view, consent from one person doesn’t count as consent from another. However, the court dismissed the application because the applicants didn’t prove they suffered actual harm, so no damages were awarded.

Truecaller says it will keep operating in Nigeria, and it’s pointing people who want out to its unlisting tool.

How to remove your number from Truecaller:

1. If you use the Truecaller app, deactivate your account first (Settings → Privacy Center → Deactivate).
2. Go to truecaller.com/unlisting.
3. Enter your phone number with the +234 country code, complete the check and submit.

Your number should be removed within about 24 hours. Keep in mind that unlisting only affects Truecaller’s search results. It doesn’t stop people who already saved your number from seeing it.