Source: TechCrunch
Summary
Truecaller, a caller identity platform with over 450 million users, has launched a new feature called “Family Protect”. This feature allows one person to become an admin of a family group, receive alerts about fraud calls received by other members, and even end a call on their behalf if they suspect a family member might get scammed.
Our Reading
The launch follows a familiar script.
Truecaller’s “Family Protect” feature sounds like a rehashed version of existing parental control features. Because what’s more innovative than giving one person control over others’ phone calls? The “admin” feature is just a fancy name for “nanny mode”. And who wouldn’t want to receive alerts about potential scams? It’s not like we’ve seen that feature before.
Truecaller’s “Family Protect” is just another example of a “new” feature that’s been done before. Because who needs actual innovation when you can just rebrand old ideas?
As one tech enthusiast noted, “This is just a fancy version of what my grandma used to do when I was a kid – telling me not to answer calls from strangers.”
Original Observation: “Truecaller’s ‘Family Protect’ feature is basically just a digital version of helicopter parenting.”
Author: Evan Null
