TRAI is working on a caller ID feature like Truecaller, but there are some issues we foresee

As far as caller ID is concerned, Truecaller has almost become synonymous with the service. However, there is a new player, of sorts, that announced that it is working on a Truecaller-like caller ID feature which should be rolling out soon. TRAI or Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, as per reports, is working on a caller ID system that is going to show KYC-based names on users’ phone displays.

As confirmed by TRAI chairman PD Vaghela, they have “received a reference to develop this new caller ID from the DoT (Department of Telecom) and it is expected to launch in a few months’ time. Vaghela said that TRAI already had plans to develop such a mechanism, but now with specific reference from DoT, work should start soon.

How will TRAI’s caller ID work?

In theory, TRAI’s called ID will work just the way Truecaller’s service works. If you get a call from an unknown number, you will be able to see KYC-based information about the person calling you on your screen, if you have the program turned on. TRAI has said that it is not going to enforce its caller ID on users without their permission, it is going to be consent-based and voluntary, and users will also have the authority to decide whether or not to have their names displayed, as per reports, to help keep spam away.

The information you will see is based solely on KYC data that users have shared with network providers while getting the number/connection they are calling from and this data is going to come from ID proofs like Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, or passports, whatever the person has submitted as ID proof.

The aim is to help users evade spam calls and phishing attacks, and TRAI’s caller ID is expected to make things more ‘accurate’ and ‘transparent’. While TRAI’s method of identification will help ensure that least the names of users are accurate, the problems with this system lie elsewhere. We’ll get to that soon.

How is this different from what Truecaller?

What Truecaller already does, and what TRAI’s service intends to do is the same - identify the callers for you so you can evade spam calls. Now, Truecaller identifies users based on crowdsourced data. So, for example, if you receive a call from an unknown number and you accept it via the Truecaller app or search for it on the app later, the information you will see has been culled from other Truecaller users who might have the number saved in their contacts. Mind you, Truecaller cannot look through your contacts unless you give it permission.

Truecaller also allows users to suggest names for unknown callers when they receive a call for the first time. You can also report and number and block it on the platform and it will be acknowledged and marked as such based on the number of reports it gets - that is essentially how spam and phishing calls are flagged off on Truecaller.

Now, TRAI’s method of sourcing information about a caller is devoid of any human intervention. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Any person could use their IDs to get a number of connections, one of which might be used for spam/phishing calls. Now, you would not know what a call is regarding unless you specifically entertain it. It is also not clear whether there will be an option to flag calls on TRAI’s platform, as there is on Truecaller or suggest a name change.

For all practical purposes, Truecaller offers more on its platform when it comes to dealing with unwanted calls. Especially if you are an Android user, Truecaller is all the more handy and effective because of the less complicated permissions issue on the platform. So, you don’t really need TRAI’s service, unless there is a way to make the two services work together effectively.

Truecaller has “welcomed” TRAI’s proposal “in the mission to make communication safe and efficient” and “appreciated” the move as a supportive one to help end the “menace of spam and scam calls”. But essentially, Truecaller has nothing to worry about. TRAI’s new mechanism, if included with what Truecaller is very efficiently already doing, it should help clean up the data that’s available to crowdsourcing apps like itself with KYC linkages.

By itself, TRAI’s caller ID is perhaps going to be only half as effective as it can be if it works in tandem with companies like Truecaller.

Also Read: Truecaller has some new features coming in for Android users; check details here

Also Read: Truecaller no longer offers call recording feature, here is how to auto-record calls