Truecaller vs WhatsApp

India Mandates Caller-ID Apps Share Spam Reports with Telcos

India's telecom regulator, TRAI, has amended rules to require caller-ID and call-management apps, such as Truecaller, to share user spam reports with telecom operators via a blockchain-based platform. The move aims to broaden the spam report pool for enforcement. Truecaller, which has over 500 million monthly active users globally and 350 million in India, called the requirement anti-competitive, citing a one-way exchange of valuable data. The amendments also bring AI-powered and automated calls under the A2P framework, requiring declaration to operators or being treated as spam. Telecom operators may levy termination charges up to 5 paise per minute. The rules raise questions about data sharing scope, enforcement, and consent. India reported around 42 billion spam calls in 2025, with Truecaller blocking 12 billion.

• TRAI amended rules requiring caller-ID apps to share spam reports with telecom operators via a blockchain platform.
• Truecaller called the mandate 'anti-competitive', citing a 'one-way exchange' of data.
• India had around 42 billion spam calls in 2025, according to a Truecaller report.

Investor Presentation Released: truecaller.com

AI parsed presentation narrative: Truecaller positions itself as the essential global platform for safe and trusted communication, focusing on building trust by mitigating endemic fraud and unwanted communication in digital economies, particularly within emerging markets. Strategic pillars: Trust in Communication, Fraud Prevention.

Truecaller clashes with TRAI over anti-spam rules

Truecaller publicly challenged India’s telecom regulator (TRAI), saying a 2024 framework that designates 1400 and 1600 number series for commercial communications prevents caller ID apps from displaying community-reported spam labels and has reduced trust in those business numbers. CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala posted that Truecaller users ignored 81% of calls from the 1400 series and 79% from the 1600 series over eight months, and manually blocked 74 million calls from those series. The dispute follows reporting that TRAI has sought powers under the Information Technology Act to act against caller ID apps that label calls from the designated series as spam. Truecaller said it will share data with India’s IT ministry and urged evidence-based regulation.

• Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala publicly challenged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) over caller ID app rules.
• India’s 2024 framework designated the 1400 series for telemarketing and the 1600 series for service/transaction-related business calls.
• Truecaller said users ignored 81% of 1400-series calls and 79% of 1600-series calls over the past eight months, and manually blocked 74 million calls from those series.

Meta launches WhatsApp Business MCP server for AI agents

Meta has introduced a new Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, the WhatsApp Business Tools MCP, enabling AI coding agents like Claude, Cursor, Codex, and ChatGPT to automate the setup and management of WhatsApp Business messaging. This addresses the previously cumbersome process that required developers to navigate multiple tools. With this MCP server, AI agents can handle tasks such as creating the business account, verifying phone numbers, registering for Cloud API access, and managing messaging templates. They can also test webhooks and monitor compliance-related issues like Terms of Service and payment methods. The initiative is part of Meta's broader expansion of MCP servers, which now also include ones for ad management and app configuration.

• Meta launched the WhatsApp Business Tools MCP server on September 15, 2026.
• The MCP server allows AI agents like Claude, Cursor, Codex, and ChatGPT to manage WhatsApp Business setup.
• AI agents can automate creating the WhatsApp Business account, phone number verification, and Cloud API registration.

WhatsApp Tests Support for Up to Three Accounts on iOS

WhatsApp, a Meta-owned messaging app, is reportedly testing an extension of its multi-account feature for iOS, allowing users to manage up to three accounts on a single device. The feature was spotted in the TestFlight beta version iOS 26.37.10.15, indicating it's currently available only to early testers. This would build upon the existing two-account support and could benefit social media managers and business users by enabling them to handle multiple personal and professional accounts without needing a second device. The report comes from WABetaInfo, a publisher specialized in WhatsApp updates. No official release date has been announced.

• WhatsApp is testing support for up to three accounts on iOS devices.
• The feature was discovered in the TestFlight beta version iOS 26.37.10.15.
• Currently, WhatsApp allows only two accounts per device on both Android and iOS.

WhatsApp Testing Guest Calls, Event Hub, Restricted Chats

WhatsApp is developing three new features: guest calls allowing people without a WhatsApp account to join voice and video calls via browser links, a centralized Event Hub for managing events and sharing invitations with non-users, and Restricted Chat to protect private conversations from access via linked devices and AI agents. The features were discovered by WABetaInfo in beta versions for iOS and Android. Guest calls, currently in development, would let iOS users create call links that guests can open in a browser without installing the app, with end-to-end encryption maintained. The Event Hub, found in Android beta, aggregates event creation, management, and responses, and allows sharing event links with non-WhatsApp users. Restricted Chat, also in Android beta, builds on Advanced Chat Privacy to prevent chat export, automatic media saving, sharing with Meta AI, and access from linked devices. Rollout dates are not yet announced.

• WABetaInfo discovered guest calls in WhatsApp Beta 26.36.10.71 for iOS, allowing people without accounts to join calls via browser links.
• WhatsApp introduced guest calls for iOS, but the feature is still in development and not available to beta testers yet.
• WABetaInfo found the Event Hub in WhatsApp Beta 2.26.36.5 for Android, centralizing event management and allowing sharing event links with non-users.