Truecaller coming to WhatsApp

3 years ago 2

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Truecaller will soon integrate its caller identification service into WhatsApp and other messaging apps to help users spot spam calls on such platforms, Reuters reports.

While the feature is still in a beta testing phase, Truecaller CEO Alan Mamedi said it would roll out globally towards the end of May 2023.

Spam calls have been on the rise in recent years, with a 2021 report from Truecaller revealing that users in India get approximately 17 spam calls a month on average.

Mamedi said that while switching to Internet calling in India was relatively new, telemarketers leverage the channel to tout their products to potential customers.

Truecaller is in discussions with telecom operators in the country to implement a solution.

“Over the last two weeks, we have seen a spike in user reports from India about spam calls over WhatsApp,” said Mamedi.

In December 2022, MyBroadband reported that Truecaller could violate the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) as it allows subscribers to upload other people’s names and numbers without their consent.

Although Truecaller attempts to make it the subscriber’s responsibility to confirm with the other party before uploading their details, this may not be enough.

Werksmans Attorneys head of regulatory practice Ahmore Burger-Smidt concluded that Truecaller should notify, by SMS or email, each person who is added to its database.

It should then direct such individuals to the Truecaller privacy policy to highlight the data subject’s ability to delist from the Truecaller database.