Truecaller vs TRAI spam labeling dispute

Truecaller, a Swedish caller-ID app with over 350 million users in India, is publicly challenging the India — Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) over rules that restrict labeling calls from the 140 and 1600 number series as spam. TRAI introduced these series in 2024 to help consumers identify legitimate business calls, but Truecaller argues the restrictions have backfired, leading to widespread user distrust. According to Truecaller, 81% of 140-series calls and 79% of 1600-series calls are now ignored, and daily blocking of 1600-series numbers has tripled since October 2025. TRAI, seeking to prevent apps from discouraging these calls, has asked the India — Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for powers under the IT Act to take action against non-compliant apps. Truecaller CEO Girish Jhunjhunwala has publicly criticized the move, calling it senseless, and plans to share internal data with MeitY. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has opposed TRAI's proposal as jurisdictional overreach. The dispute remains unresolved, with MeitY consulting the India — Department of Telecommunications.