- By Vikas Yadav
- Tue, 09 May 2023 12:10 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
TRUECALLER, the Global caller ID service, will soon expand its footprint to WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging platform, and more similar apps, Truecaller shared with Reuters. Alongside cellular calls, the update would help curtail spam calls generated from the internet.
Presently, the feature is undergoing trials in beta. The functionality would roll out globally this month, shared Alan Mamedi, CEO and Co-founder of Truecaller. Speaking of numbers, as per 2021 data from the Swedish company, on average, a user receives 17 spam/telemarketing calls every month.
Taking cognisance of the matter, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, earlier in February, had directed telecom service giants such as Jio and Airtel to instigate war against spam calls via AI means. Truecaller is in touch with carriers to bring a fix.
"Over the last two weeks, we have seen a spike in user reports from India about spam calls over WhatsApp," Mamedi states, noting the evolved model of telemarketers - internet calling.
The Meta-owned app tops the charts (by usage) of messaging platforms in India. According to WhatsApp, the service deploys "spam detection technology" to point and shoot accounts that engage in "abnormal" activities. Moreover, users can block and report profiles that bother them.
Back to Truecaller, India has a stronghold on the app with over 70 per cent user base. Of the 350 million users globally, 250 million have roots in the country. The Swedish app earns income via ads, subscriptions and verified business listings.
Alan Mamedi also said
"One of the big updates is that we are in the process of launching Truecaller Call Assistant for Android users and some more interesting features for iOS as well," citing Truecaller's top boss, PTI reported.
Mamedi said the app will continue to comply with the upcoming data protection laws in the country.
Spam calls on WhatsApp
We had earlier reported that in recent weeks scam calls intended at duping app users are rising exponentially. In our case, these call requests were from numbers with country codes originating from Ethiopia, Morocco, Vietnam and Swaziland. Truecaller plans to bring these cases down with the move.