Truecaller has sided with Indian telecom operators in opposing the blocking of mobile numbers based on flagging by artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions, saying that consent should always rest with the user.
When asked whether telcos launching their own caller identification and spam filtering platforms would affect Truecaller’s relevance for users, the company’s chief executive officer said it represented direct competition for a part of their offering. However, he added that Truecaller’s value proposition is much broader and that the company has not seen a significant impact on its user base.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has proposed formally allowing telecom companies to use AI-based filtering tools to detect and block spam calls and messages. The regulator has also directed all mobile operators to share data derived from their AI-based solutions within hours on a common blockchain-based platform and act against spammers, even in the absence of complaints. This is part of TRAI’s broader move to regularise the use of AI-based solutions in curbing spam.
