TRAI Prepares for Major Action; Apps Like Truecaller Could Face a Ban
TRAI is preparing to take action against three apps, including Truecaller. These apps are accused of blocking designated commercial numbers.
TRAI has sought action against Truecaller and two other call management apps—Hiya and Whoscall—all of which are currently on the regulator’s radar. TRAI has called for action against them under the IT Act. The apps are accused of flagging calls originating from numbers starting with ‘1400’ and ‘1600’ as spam; these number series are specifically assigned for commercial communication.
Preparing for Action
TRAI cannot take direct action against these apps because they do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Consequently, permission from MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) and the DoT would be required to take action. The telecom regulator states that it does not intend to regulate the apps themselves but seeks to take action based on violations of the IT Act.
Regulatory officials note that while ‘safe harbor’ provisions exist, apps must still comply with local laws. They observed that certain apps were violating TRAI’s regulations. ‘Safe harbor’ rules refer to legal provisions that shield organizations from regulatory liability, provided they adhere to specific, pre-established guidelines.
The regulator wants to be designated as an authorized agency under this rule. According to reports, MeitY has agreed to TRAI’s request, and the Department of Telecommunications will now take the next steps in the matter.
Truecaller’s Clarification
However, Truecaller maintains that, in accordance with TRAI’s mandate, it neither tags numbers from these designated series as spam nor automatically blocks them. Simply put, if Truecaller identifies a specific number series on its platform as spam, it does not officially tag that series as spam itself.
Will the app be banned?
If TRAI receives the green light from the Department of Telecommunications, major action could be taken against three apps, including Truecaller. The telecom regulator could issue notices to these apps, and if the matter is deemed serious, they could even face a ban.
