The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is attempting to regulate caller ID apps like Truecaller, sparking controversy over its authority and implications on spam calls. TRAI's move comes after Truecaller's CEO, Rishit Jhunjhunwala, criticized the regulator's earlier mandate to whitelist 140- and 160-series numbers used for promotional and banking calls.
TRAI's Mandate and Truecaller's Response
TRAI had mandated that apps like Truecaller whitelist numbers from the 140- and 160-series, which are used for promotional and banking calls, respectively. Truecaller complied, but its CEO later stated that this led to a "significant" increase in spam calls, with over 51 million calls from these series going unanswered daily.
As a result, Truecaller introduced a "Frequently Blocked" badge, which was displayed even on whitelisted numbers, prompting TRAI to take exception and seek authority to regulate caller ID apps from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Implications and Background
The controversy highlights the ongoing debate over regulating online services and telecom operators in India. TRAI's original mandate to create the 140- and 160-series was aimed at tightening norms for unsolicited commercial communications and curbing the misuse of 10-digit numbers for telemarketing.
- Over 51 million calls from 140- and 160-series numbers go unanswered daily
- Truecaller users block over 1 lakh calls daily from these series
- TRAI's regulations aim to curb unsolicited commercial communications
The outcome of TRAI's attempt to regulate Truecaller and other caller ID apps remains to be seen, with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) yet to respond to TRAI's request for authority.
