Truecaller to offer spam protection for WhatsApp calls: Why does it matter?

Truecaller to offer spam protection for WhatsApp calls: Why does it matter?
HIGHLIGHTS

Truecaller currently has 350 million active users every month.

The two brands will collaborate to fight calls from spammers on WhatsApp as part of their most recent agreement with Meta.

The feature is presently being evaluated in a beta setting, according to Truecaller CEO Alan Mamedi.

Meta and Truecaller are working together to prevent spam calls on WhatsApp. For those who don't know, Truecaller is a service that is used for caller identification and spam call-blocking methods. Now it’s unclear how this would work; whether spam calls will be actively blocked prior to them reaching a WhatsApp user.

Also read: No more fraud calls, thanks to TRAI’s AI-based spam call filter: How it will work

The feature is presently being evaluated in a beta setting, according to Truecaller CEO Alan Mamedi, and it will be made available globally later this month. 

In the current times wherein fraudulent calls are ever so increasing, this could be the solution WhatsApp users need. 

Also read: WhatsApp feature will let GIFs play automatically: Here’s how

Mamedi noted that the country with the largest market for the company, India, had seen an increase in spam calls made using WhatsApp. Therefore, it makes sense for Meta and Truecaller to collaborate and solve this issue before it spreads and becomes a major problem for WhatsApp users.

Incidentally, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is also working on AI-based spam call filter. However, this seems to be for regular cellular calls only.

In related news, several citizens have alleged of receiving scam calls from unknown international numbers. These come in both video and voice formats. These numbers carry country codes like Malaysia (+60), Vietnam (+84), Ethiopia (+251), Indonesia (+62), Kenya (+254), etc. 

Some spam call examples include: 

  • +1 (202) 972-4547
  • +62 838-6620-5224
  • +84 38 341 6618
  • +1 (938) 336-5344
  • +62 822-1897-3796
  • +7 903 858-27-50
  • +1 (812) 777-7539
  • +62 895-4007-39893

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