Explained: What is TRAI's 'Truecaller-like' caller ID feature and will it end spam call menace?

New Delhi, Jun 3: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is prepping up to introduce a Truecaller-like caller ID feature in India. The system will showcase show KYC-based names on users' phone displays.

"We have just received a reference, and we will start work on this soon. Name as per KYC will appear when someone calls," TRAI Chairman PD Vaghela said in a statement to PTI. "The mechanism will enable name-appearing on a phone screen, in accordance with KYC done by telecom companies, as per DoT norms," he added.

As per a survey report released by community-based social media platform LocalCircles, 64 per cent of 9,623 mobile users said they receive at least three spam calls per day. 95 per cent of them complained that they receive spam calls despite registering for Do Not Disturb Service.

Will it Affect True Caller?
Truecaller CEO Alan Mamedi welcomed the development and said, "Based on the information available at present, we do not see that this would be a competitive service comparable to the full range of services and functionality that Truecaller offers to our more than 310 million monthly active users."

With its technology and data, Truecaller solves many more issues than a basic number identification service, Alan Mamedi added. "We believe that the proposed Trai development can even be a driving catalyst for our continued growth in India, as more people discover our offerings. During our 13 years, we have seen many players -- both private and state-driven -- trying to enter this industry, and we are humble in the face of this great challenges it entails to ensure safe and reliable communication for everyone," the top honcho said.

The Truecaller Feature Explained
Anybody who has installed the Truecaller app on their phone will know how helpful for him to identify the caller. Well, the app displays the name of the caller which helps the receiver to whether or not to pick up the call. For many, it is very useful to avoid unnecessary or spam calls.

TRAI's Similar Feature with a Difference
Now, the TRAI is working on a similar feature, but the difference here is when someone makes call it will display the name as per KYC. This will not only bring greater accuracy but also transparency in identifying people as compared to the services offered by apps such as Truecaller, as they are not based on KYC-data, the official said.

The implementation of the KYC-based caller name mechanism will help users in identifying spam calls and calls from telemarketing companies. Apart from this, the mechanism will make the identity establishment more clear and legally tenable. Lastly, it will lead to the cleaning up of data on crowdsourcing apps, since the data will be linked to KYC details, the official told PTI.

An official from TRAI told CNBCTV18 that the proposed feature will be a consent-based and voluntary programme. It means the subscribers have the option of whether or not to display their names. Hence, telemarketers can still hide their identities and make calls.

Hence, it is unclear whether it will end the spam call menace.