Data Source Overview

The Reverseau dataset draws from two distinct categories of information, each serving a different purpose within the platform. Neither source independently constitutes a complete picture — they are combined to provide contextual telecommunications intelligence.

Source 1: Community-Submitted Reports

The primary and most substantial data source is community-submitted reports. These reports represent first-hand accounts from individuals who have received phone calls or SMS messages.

Key characteristics of community report data:

Submitted anonymously — no registration or personal identification required
Structured fields include phone number, caller type classification, safety rating, and written description
Reports are moderated through automated and human review processes
Data volume has accumulated since 2014

Community reports reflect self-selected participation and do not represent a statistically random sample of all call recipients.

The pipeline for processing community reports is documented in Community Reporting & Processing Model.

Source 2: Public Telecommunications Allocation Records

Phone number allocation and service type information is sourced from publicly available records maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). This data provides:

Carrier allocation — which telecommunications carrier has been assigned a number range
Service type — whether a number range is classified as landline, mobile, VoIP, or special service
Geographic region — the area code and associated state or territory for landline numbers
Allocation status — whether a number range is allocated, quarantined, or available

This public data is refreshed periodically and supplements community reports with structural telecommunications context. Allocation records reflect number range assignments, not subscriber-level usage. They do not confirm caller identity or current ownership — see Number Classification System for the allocation vs. ownership distinction.

Cross-Referencing Approach

Reverseau combines these two data sources to produce the information displayed on phone number pages. The cross-referencing process includes:

Number validation — submitted phone numbers are checked against known allocation ranges to determine whether they correspond to valid Australian numbering formats
Service type enrichment — community reports are enriched with service type and carrier data from ACMA allocation records
Geographic context — for landline numbers, area code data provides state and regional context
Consistency checks — automated checks flag cases where submitted data appears inconsistent with known allocation records. Such checks assess structural consistency only and do not evaluate the factual accuracy of reported call content

Cross-referencing enhances structural accuracy but does not verify the substance of reported experiences.

What Reverseau Does Not Source

For clarity, the following data types are not sourced or available through this platform:

Caller identity or personal information
Business registration or ABN records
Direct carrier feeds or real-time porting data
Law enforcement or regulatory investigation data
Call records, metadata, or interception data
Subscriber account data held by telecommunications providers

Metadata Refresh Frequency

Community reports are processed and published in near-real-time, subject to the moderation pipeline. Public allocation data is refreshed periodically as ACMA updates its records. The refresh cycle means that recently ported or reallocated numbers may temporarily display outdated carrier information. Reverseau does not receive real-time carrier routing updates.

Identity & Subscriber Data Boundaries

Reverseau does not perform identity resolution, subscriber tracing, or investigative profiling of phone number users.

Data Sources & Cross-Referencing