Who decides a call is ‘spam’ on your phone?:Know how Airtel, Truecaller, and Google use AI-powered caller IDs to identify fraud calls

Almost everyone has seen a ‘Spam’ warning flash on their phone before answering a call. While these alerts help users avoid scammers, they can also create problems when genuine calls get flagged. Imagine missing a bank’s fraud alert or an important loan-related call because your phone thought it was spam. That is exactly the issue now under discussion in India. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for the power to take action against caller identification apps such as Truecaller. The proposal has sparked a larger debate on how these apps decide which calls are spam and whether they should come under government regulation. Why is TRAI seeking more power? TRAI has requested MeitY to authorise it to regulate caller identification and call management apps like Truecaller. According to MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan, the ministry is studying the proposal and discussing it with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The government will also examine whether such powers can legally be granted. According to a report by Business Standard, at present, apps like Truecaller operate as intermediaries under the Information Technology (IT) Act and are not directly regulated by TRAI.
Instead of asking for complete control over these platforms, TRAI wants to be recognised as an “authorised agency” under the IT Act so it can take action if these platforms violate rules. Why has this become a concern? The issue came into focus after several banks complained that their official phone numbers, especially those beginning with 140 and 1600, which are commonly used for business communication, were being labelled as spam or even blocked by caller ID apps. Because of this, many customers reportedly missed fraud alerts from banks, suspicious transaction warnings, loan recovery calls, and other important customer service calls. Also read: Should you ignore calls from +91 140 or 1600 numbers?:India’s telecom regulator clarifies rules to reduce frauds; know the actual meaning of them

How does Truecaller decide that a number is spam? Truecaller does much more than rely on user complaints. According to the company, its system combines: Truecaller also studies: The company says these labels are reviewed continuously. If a number’s behaviour changes, its spam label can also be removed. Businesses that believe they have been wrongly marked as spam can request a review. Companies can also register verified business numbers so users can easily recognise official callers. How Airtel detects spam calls Airtel detects spam calls using an AI-powered system that works directly at the telecom network level. It analyses calling behaviour, network traffic and metadata related to calls and SMS to identify suspicious numbers in real time.
According to the company, the system processes billions of records every day, and spam alerts appear automatically for users without requiring a separate app. Airtel says it does not access the content of calls or messages and relies only on technical information to detect spam. How Google identifies spam callers Google’s Phone app offers caller identification and spam protection on many Android smartphones. For caller identification, Google matches incoming phone numbers with: For spam detection, Google combines: If many users report the same number, future callers may see a spam warning before answering. Google has also introduced AI-powered scam detection on supported Android devices. The feature analyses conversation patterns during calls directly on the device and alerts users if it detects signs commonly linked to financial scams. Also read: Vikram-1 creates history, successfully placing payloads into orbit:India becomes the 3rd country to achieve private orbital launch capability

What is Jio doing? Reliance Jio has taken a different approach. Instead of automatically identifying spam calls across its network, the company mainly focuses on educating users about online fraud. Jio advises customers to: Unlike Airtel, Jio has not announced a network-wide AI system that labels incoming spam calls for all users. Why are some experts worried? Some experts say bringing caller ID apps under TRAI could improve accountability and reduce incorrect spam labels. Others, including telecom expert Mahesh Uppal, warn it could set a precedent for regulating more online apps.
The government is now reviewing TRAI’s proposal, which could decide whether apps like Truecaller remain regulated under the IT Act alone or face additional oversight.