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TRAI has objected to Truecaller displaying a "frequently blocked" badge on calls from the 140 and 1600 number series, saying it could mislead users and reduce trust in legitimate commercial, banking and government communications. The regulator urged Truecaller to instead promote its DND app, allowing consumers to manage unwanted promotional calls without discouraging important service calls.

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has raised objections to Truecaller's display of a "frequently blocked" badge on calls originating from the dedicated 140 and 1600 number series, saying such labels could mislead telecom consumers and create unnecessary suspicion around legitimate commercial and government communications.

A senior TRAI official said tagging regulated number series with labels such as "frequently blocked" is not advisable as it can confuse users and undermine confidence in calls that are made under the regulator's prescribed framework.

Instead, the official suggested that Truecaller should display a message informing users that they can exercise their choice to block unwanted promotional communications from the 140 series through TRAI's official Do Not Disturb (DND) preference management application.

According to the regulator, greater public awareness of the DND framework would be a more effective solution than labelling individual numbers, as it allows consumers to manage their communication preferences in a structured manner.