Truecaller Will Present Call Identification Service On WhatsApp To Reduce Spam

JAKARTA - Truecaller will soon create a call identification service available on WhatsApp and other messaging apps to help users recognize potential spam calls via the internet.

"The feature is currently in beta and will be rolled out globally in May," Truecaller CEO Alan Mamedi told Reuters on Monday.

telemarketing and fraud calls are increasing in countries like India, where users get around 17 spam calls per month on average, according to Truecaller's 2021 report.

India's telecommunications regulators in February directed operators such as Jio and Airtel to start blocking telemarketing calls through their networks using artificial intelligence filters. Truecaller said it was in discussions with telecommunications operators to implement the solution.

Over the past two weeks, we have seen a surge in user reports from India about spam calls via WhatsApp, Mamedi said, noting that using internet calls by phone marketers is relatively new in the market.

WhatsApp is India's most widely used messaging platform. The company says it uses spam detection technology to detect and take action on accounts that carry out abnormal behavior and allows users to block and report problematic accounts.

India is also the largest truecaller market with 250 million users. The company has 350 million users globally and earns revenue from advertising, subscription services, and business verification lists.