TRAI finalizes spam rules, limiting Truecaller's blocking of official call series
India's telecom regulator, TRAI, has finalized new rules to combat spam calls and messages. The regulations prevent call management apps like Truecaller from blocking or tagging calls from designated official number series.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has finalized amendments to its regulations governing commercial communications, significantly impacting how call management applications operate. The changes, effective September 18, restrict apps such as Truecaller from interfering with calls originating from specific official number series.
Under the new rules, call management apps are prohibited from filtering, tagging, or blocking calls from the 140xx, 1600xx, and 1601xx series. These applications must also share user-submitted spam reports with the DLT platform rather than retaining them internally.
Further amendments introduce pricing for automated bulk calls, aligning them with commercial SMS rates. Consumers are granted a formal appeal mechanism for incorrectly closed spam complaints. The regulations also mandate AI/ML-enabled spam flagging and data sharing among telecom service providers.
The finalized rules follow a draft released in March and subsequent public consultations. TRAI aims to enhance consumer protection and prevent misuse while ensuring the integrity of official communication channels.