Truecaller changes on the cards for South Africa
Caller ID and spam screening platform Truecaller says that it is willing to change its app in South Africa to comply with local privacy laws.
Speaking to MyBroadband, the group said it is currently working with the South African Information Regulator on its investigation into the platform.
The regulator is investigating the app following complaints from both companies and individuals.
The app is primarily used to identify callers, but this has led to accusations that the platform violates South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
The system has proven wildly popular in South Africa because it warns users when they may be getting a call from a spammer or scammer who obtained their number unlawfully.
However, it could also be infringing on the rights of legitimate businesses, which must be allowed to contact clients who have agreed to let them do so.
The source of the problem is Truecaller’s crowdsourcing mechanism for flagging spam, which is open to abuse by malicious users or competing businesses.
Complicating matters, the platform also charges businesses a monthly fee to have their number whitelisted.
This has drawn allegations that the platform damages reputations through spam labels and then charges a fee to be cleared.
Truecaller has rejected the allegations, noting that businesses subscribing to its enterprise plans aren’t immune from spam labels provided by users.
Nevertheless, the Information Regulator is investigating Truecaller’s practices against the eight conditions set out in the country’s privacy laws.
This includes informing people how their data will be used, ensuring the data is used securely, and not using more personal information than is necessary for the stated purpose.
Truecaller said it has provided a comprehensive response to the investigation and has expressed willingness to meet the regulator halfway.
Top executive for Truecaller in South Africa, Mmathebe Zvobwo, told MyBroadband that the group was “100% open” to making changes to its app if requested to ensure compliance with POPIA.
“We would be open to making any change that makes sense, and we obviously are open to debating and having a conversation about it,” she said.
One potential change involves “enhanced search,” a feature Truecaller has already removed in other major markets, like India, to align with local regulatory preferences.
In South Africa, the feature affects only approximately 5% of users, primarily those who access the service via the Truecaller website rather than the mobile app, she said.
Regarding how it processes user data, Zvobwo said that the platform knows less than many people think.
The service primarily knows a user’s phone number, the device they are using, and their name or email address, if they choose to provide those details during signup.
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