Truecaller, a popular caller ID service in India, is being forced to rebrand as it disputes claims that its "anti-spam" features have led to widespread outrage among users. Truecaller had launched a new feature called "Business Number Series" which aimed to identify and block calls from specific business numbers in India that were deemed spammy or unsolicited. However, the company has now dropped the term "Anti-Spam", sparking anger among some users who feel that the feature has been used as a pretext for blocking legitimate businesses.
Users claim that the feature has resulted in a significant number of legitimate companies being inadvertently blocked, while also disrupting essential communication between businesses and their clients. This has led to widespread protests on social media, with many users expressing their frustration through #JusticeForBusinessNumbers and #TruecallerReverses itsSpamMongering.
Truecaller has now announced that it will be revoking the Business Number Series feature in India effective immediately, citing the need for a more nuanced approach to customer communication. The company's CEO claimed that they had received numerous complaints from legitimate businesses about being mistakenly blocked by the feature, and acknowledged that their actions may have caused harm to some companies.