{"id":747437,"date":"2026-09-19T05:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T02:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/india-forces-caller-id-apps-to-feed-spam-reports-to-telcos\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T05:00:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T02:00:56","slug":"india-forces-caller-id-apps-to-feed-spam-reports-to-telcos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/india-forces-caller-id-apps-to-feed-spam-reports-to-telcos\/","title":{"rendered":"India forces caller-ID apps to feed spam reports to telcos"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af2aad497dfa\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af2aad497dfa\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/india-forces-caller-id-apps-to-feed-spam-reports-to-telcos\/#New_rules_for_AI-powered_calls\" >New rules for AI-powered calls<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India has extended its anti-spam regime to require caller-ID and call-management <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>s to share users\u2019 spam reports with telecom operators, prompting spam-blocking app maker Truecaller to call the ruling anti-competitive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the country\u2019s telecom regulator, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2311989\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">amended<\/a> rules governing commercial communications, making it mandatory for call-ID and call-management apps that let users flag calls as spam or junk to send those reports to a blockchain-based platform maintained by telecom operators. The platform tracks commercial communications and enforces anti-spam rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The change, TRAI said, is intended to broaden the pool of spam reports available for action against spammers, effectively connecting reports collected by apps with the telecom industry\u2019s enforcement infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Truecaller told TechCrunch that it sees this requirement as a \u201cone-way exchange\u201d that is \u201canti-competitive,\u201d arguing that it transfers commercially valuable data from call-management apps like itself to telecom operators.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">India is Truecaller\u2019s largest market, accounting for <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate.truecaller.com\/newsroom\/press-release\/truecaller-crosses-500-million-users%3A-sets-a-new-global-standard-for-trusted-communication?id=BD7FB541373F1047\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">well over 350 million<\/a> of its more than 500 million monthly active users globally. The Stockholm-based company uses community reports alongside automated detection and other signals to identify and block spam calls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rules come as India grapples with spam and fraudulent calls at enormous scale. In its report in February, Truecaller said its users in the country encountered <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.truecaller.com\/blog\/insights\/indias-spam-shield-truecaller-2025-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">around 42 billion spam calls<\/a> in 2025, including calls that were blocked, labeled, or ignored. The company also stated that it blocked nearly 12 billion spam calls during the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is not the first time Truecaller and the Indian regulator have been at odds over how spam calls should be handled. The Swedish company previously objected to restrictions preventing call-management apps from automatically labeling calls from certain government-designated number ranges as spam. It argued that the exemption could allow unwanted calls to escape its filters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Friday\u2019s amendments retain that restriction and have barred call-management apps from blanket blocking, filtering, or spam-tagging calls from designated number <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> used for promotional, service, and transactional communications. Individual users can still choose to block such calls on their own devices, the regulator said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile our data and user sentiment clearly show that spam has skyrocketed due to this free pass to spammers, we have been compliant with this since late last year,\u201d A Truecaller spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sumeysh Srivastava, a partner at New Delhi-based consulting firm The Quantum Hub, who leads its telecom-regulation policy work, said the latest change bridges two distinct layers: telecom operators provide the underlying network and run the blockchain-based anti-spam system, while caller-ID apps operate on top of the network to identify and filter calls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That raises technical and jurisdictional questions, Srivastava told TechCrunch, including what reporting standards apps will have to follow and how the requirement will be enforced against companies that are not themselves telecom operators.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A March draft <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/worldtradescanner.com\/Draft_CP_13032026.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">proposed<\/a> (PDF) using India\u2019s IT laws to enforce the requirement. However, Srivastava pointed out that the new announcement did not say whether that enforcement mechanism was retained in the final rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is also unclear how much information the apps will actually have to provide under the updated regulation. Kazim Rizvi, founding director of New Delhi-based policy think tank The Dialogue, told TechCrunch that requiring an app to transmit a specific spam report made by a user is materially different from requiring it to share the broader datasets, reputation signals, or analytical systems it uses to identify suspicious calls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rules will need clarity on what information must be transmitted, how users are notified or asked for consent, and how that data can subsequently be retained and used, Rizvi said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TRAI did not respond to TechCrunch\u2019s questions about what information apps would be required to share and whether the rule would also apply to spam-reporting features built into smartphone operating systems and dialers such as Android and iOS.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-new-rules-for-ai-powered-calls\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New_rules_for_AI-powered_calls\"><\/span>New rules for AI-powered calls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The amendments also address the growing use of software and AI voice agents to make calls. Calls made automatically, without a person directly dialing the number, will now fall under TRAI\u2019s application-to-person (A2P) framework. That includes robocalls and calls using prerecorded or artificial voices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies using such systems will have to declare their use and the phone numbers involved to their telecom operators in advance. Undeclared A2P calls will be treated as spam, TRAI said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key test, Srivastava said, is how a call is initiated, rather than simply whether it uses an AI-generated voice, leaving some uncertainty around AI-assisted calls that involve human initiation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Satya N. Gupta, a former additional secretary at TRAI, told TechCrunch that the new rules do not restrict businesses from using AI or other automated calling technologies, but instead require them to disclose their use to telecom operators.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Telecom operators will also be allowed to levy a termination charge of up to 5 paise (about 0.052 cents) per minute on A2P calls. However, calls made using certain designated number ranges will be exempt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rizvi told TechCrunch that the new definition could also cover calls made using software even when a person is still involved, such as calls from contact centers and click-to-call services. \u201cWithout that distinction, the A2P category risks becoming broader than the regulatory harm it is intended to address,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/09\/18\/india-forces-caller-id-apps-to-feed-spam-reports-to-telcos\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India has extended its anti-spam regime to require caller-ID and call-management apps to share users\u2019 spam reports with telecom operators, prompting spam-blocking app maker Truecaller to call the ruling anti-competitive. On Friday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the country\u2019s telecom regulator, amended rules governing commercial communications, making it mandatory for call-ID and call-management&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-747437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=747437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747437\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=747437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=747437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=747437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}