India’s fight against spam calls has taken a new turn as caller identification platform Truecaller and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) differ over the implementation of new anti-spam measures.
According to The Indian Express, the disagreement centres on how spam calls should be identified and whether telecom operators should rely on network-level solutions instead of third-party apps.
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What makes Truecaller and TRAI go at odds?
The Indian Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) has been urging telecom companies to enhance their capabilities of detecting spam by employing network-based technologies and not relying on applications such as Truecaller.
The regulator says telecom firms have the potential to do more to flag scam and promotion calls before they reach customers.
Truecaller, however, maintained that their crowdsourced database and caller identification technology still provides a value to users in terms of identifying unknown numbers and identifying suspicious spam calls.
What implications does this have for end users?
As of yet, there will be no noticeable changes to users. Truecaller will remain as it is, and telecoms firms are in a process to roll out TRAI’s all-encompassing anti-spam plan.
If the spammers can get network level spam detection to work, users could eventually be warned about spam through their cellphone networks, eliminating the need for third-party caller ID apps.
The telecom industry believes that integrating a filter with app identification could offer greater caller identification and rejection capabilities against nuisance and scam calls.
TRAI’s comprehensive anti-spam campaign
In recent months, the regulator has adopted a number of measures to fight unwanted commercial communication and financial fraud.
Some of these are increased monitoring of telemarketers, greater traceability for messages, and improved verification systems for companies sending out bulk messages.
The latest tussle, however, is not a call for an immediate ban on apps that allow users to call out who they’re calling, but rather a disagreement on how best to streamline consumer protection.
The Truecaller service is likely to continue to function for millions of Indians who frequently use the app to find and block unknown calls, even as telecom operators beef up their own spam protection.
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FAQs
Q1: Is Truecaller being banned in India?
No. There is no announcement that Truecaller is being banned.
Q2: Will spam calls stop because of TRAI’s new measures?
The aim is to reduce spam and scam calls, though implementation will take time.
