Burner (mobile application)

Burner is a mobile application for temporary, disposable, phone numbers, giving a user control over their phone privacy.[1]

An iPhone application was released in August 2012, with an Android version in April 2013.[2][3][4]

Prepaid mobile phones have been used to control costs, reduce contractual obligations, and provide a degree of privacy in mobile phone use. The technology has been used in popular culture by drug dealers on The Wire, spies on Burn Notice, and agents in Mission: Impossible.[5][6][7]

The company has stated it would comply with law enforcement requests but would require valid search warrants.[8][9] Burner is a trademark of Ad Hoc Labs, a Silver Lake, Los Angeles-based software startup.[10] The Burner application launched in August 2012 and announced angel investors including Techstars founder David Cohen and super angel Dave McClure in October 2012.[11][12] In an interview with Ars Technica, CEO Greg Cohn stated "we definitely think that communications, and telephony specifically, have been left behind by the wave of social innovation that’s been happening. The network should be smarter, it should be more socially aware and more privacy-aware."[5]

In the Fall of 2014, Burner implemented LinkTexting, an SMS form solution, on their landing page to drive more desktop to mobile downloads.

References

  1. ↑ Wortham, Jenna (2012-12-05). "Test Run: Burner, a Mobile App That Gives You Disposable Digits". New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  2. ↑ Bilton, Ricardo (2013-04-10). "Burner, the completely legit disposable phone number app, comes to Android". VentureBeat. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  3. ↑ Kern, Eliza (2013-04-10). "Don’t want to give out your real phone number? Burner app will now cover Android users too". GigaOM. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  4. ↑ Albanesius, Chloe (2012-04-10). "PC Magazine". PC Magazine. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Farivar, Cyrus (2012-08-08). "Burner wants to help you temporarily obfuscate your phone number". Ars Technica. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Johnson, Ben; Lindsey Turrentine (2013-04-17). "Burner mobile app goes beyond prank calls". Marketplace (radio program). Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  7. ↑ McGuinness, Michelle (2013-04-17). "'Burner' app adds disposable phone numbers". MSNBC. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Carney, Michael (2013-04-10). "Burner app brings its disposable phone numbers to Android, updates iOS for privacy controls". PandoDaily. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Kumparak, Greg (2013-04-10). "Burner, The One-Click Disposable Phone Number App, Comes To Android". TechCrunch. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Trademark Electronic Search System: serial number 85899179 "IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Downloadable software in the nature of a mobile application to provide alias phone numbers for wireless communications. FIRST USE: 20120307. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20120312"
  11. ↑ Carney, Michael (2012-08-18). controversial-privacy-solutions/ "Burner app creator Ad Hoc Labs gets funding for controversial privacy solutions". PandoDaily. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  12. ↑ Etherington, Darrell (2012-10-08). "Burner App Raises Angel Round, Prepares To Become The Passbook For Mobile Privacy". TechCrunch. Retrieved 4 May 2013.

External links