Two free apps and some reassuringly human help promise residents a little more peace in their pockets. There is a particular disappointment reserved for the modern telephone. It rings. You put down your coffee, interrupt a conversation or fish it out from the bottom of a bag. Perhaps it is the family. Perhaps the appointment you have been waiting for. Then comes the pause. Then the sales pitch. Somewhere along the way, owning a mobile phone seems to have become an open invitation to people we have never met, selling things we have never requested. Occasionally, the caller’s ambitions extend considerably further than selling. Monaco is now encouraging residents to put someone on the door.
In an announcement dated 20 October, the Princely Government and Monaco Telecom highlighted two French-developed applications, Saracroche and Blocall, to help Monégasques and residents identify and block unwanted calls. Both are available on iPhone and Android, and the announcement also points to their ability to identify certain fraudulent text messages.
A neighbourhood watch in your pocket
The principle is appealingly communal: one person’s unwelcome interruption can help prevent somebody else’s. User reports contribute to shared databases of unwanted numbers, allowing the applications to recognise callers already associated with nuisance activity. It is a kind of neighbourhood watch for the telephone, with warnings travelling between handsets instead of over garden fences.
Saracroche adds an interesting twist. Its published features include a periodically downloaded blocking list that continues working without an internet connection. Blocked callers are directed to voicemail, where they can leave a message. The developer also describes the application as free, without advertising and open source, meaning its code is available for inspection.
Blocall similarly says its blocking information is stored locally, allowing filtering to work offline. There is, however, a useful distinction behind the word “free”: its FAQ specifies free use on a personal phone for strictly personal purposes. Phones provided, financed or managed by an employer or organisation require a professional licence.
For residents downloading an app for their own handset, that distinction is straightforward. For businesses considering it for staff phones, it deserves a closer look.
Who is watching the doorman?
An application invited to guard a telephone inevitably raises another question: what does it learn about its owner? Saracroche’s privacy policy says it does not require access to the address book. When someone reports a number, the app sends that number and a randomly generated identifier designed to prevent duplicate reports and abuse. The developer says this information is hosted in France. Blocall says it does not transmit contacts or communication content. Its FAQ also describes optional technical and usage statistics that users can disable in the application’s settings. These are the developers’ published commitments – useful details behind the broader promise of privacy.
The most reassuring feature may be a person
For anyone who finds phone settings more exhausting than the calls themselves, Monaco’s initiative has a welcome human element. The Maison du Numérique, at Les Jardins d’Apolline, is offering workshops to help people install and configure the applications. Residents can also walk in for assistance from advisers, who provide broader guidance on recognising online scams. The announcement says the centre has already welcomed more than 2,000 people. Opened to the public on 8 July 2023, following its inauguration by Prince Albert II the previous day, the centre brings together Monaco Telecom, the Government and the Municipality around a practical ambition: helping people feel comfortable using digital services.
That makes it a fitting place to tackle the unwanted caller. A useful app still needs to be installed, understood and properly configured. Sometimes the missing ingredient is simply someone beside you saying, “Let’s do it together.” No filter can promise a permanently silent scammer. But the appeal of this campaign is easy to understand. A telephone should connect us to the people we want to hear from. It should not make every ring feel like a small gamble.
Help with installation: Maison du Numérique, Les Jardins d’Apolline, 1 Promenade Honoré II. Telephone: +377 92 26 92 26.
