India’s New Rules: Caller-ID Apps Must Share Spam Call Data with Telecom Operators

Overview

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recently revised its commercial communication rules, mandating that caller ID and call management apps share user-flagged spam call data with telecom operators. This new regulation aims to integrate industry anti-spam resources through a blockchain platform, but it has also sparked strong opposition from tech companies, including Truecaller, who argue that the rule is anti-competitive.

Data Sharing New Rule Sparks Controversy

Under the new rule, apps that allow users to flag harassment or spam calls must send these reports to a blockchain-based platform maintained by telecom operators. TRAI stated that the move aims to expand the data sources available for combating spam, connecting reports collected by apps with the telecom industry's enforcement infrastructure.

"Our data and user sentiment clearly indicate a surge in spam calls because spammers have been given a free pass," said a Truecaller spokesperson, noting that the company has been complying with related restrictions since late last year.

However, Stockholm-based Truecaller told TechCrunch that the requirement constitutes a "one-way exchange" of commercially valuable data from call management apps to telecom operators, and is therefore anti-competitive. India is Truecaller's largest market, with over 350 million monthly active users.

AI Voice and Automated Call Regulation

The new rule also targets calls made using software and AI voice agents. TRAI has brought automated calls initiated without direct human dialing into the Application-to-Person (A2P) framework, which includes robocalls featuring pre-recorded voices or AI-generated sounds.

• Companies using such systems must pre-register their usage and the phone numbers involved with telecom operators.
• Unregistered A2P calls will be treated as spam.
• Telecom operators may levy termination charges of up to 5 paise per minute on A2P calls.

Execution Details and Legal Applicability Remain TBD

Although the new rule has been published, many questions remain regarding its specific enforcement. Policy expert Sumeysh Srivastava pointed out that the new rule bridges two different layers—telecom operators providing the underlying network and apps running on top of it to identify and filter calls—thereby raising technical and jurisdictional issues.

Furthermore, there is currently no clear explanation regarding how much information apps must provide, the user consent mechanism, and how data will be retained and used. Former Additional Secretary of TRAI, Satya N. Gupta, emphasized that the new rule does not prohibit businesses from using AI or other automated calling technologies, but rather requires disclosure. Regarding whether the proposed enforcement through Indian IT laws included in the draft will remain in the final rule, regulators have not yet responded.