Trai’s move to display caller names endangers privacy, imposes costs: IAMAI

The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Thursday raised concerns over privacy and implementation in response to the proposal of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) mandating telecom service providers to display callers’ names.

The IAMAI argued that the TRAI’s proposal to make it mandatory for telcos to enable Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) presents a material risk to the privacy of Indian citizens.

It may also endanger individuals preferring not to be identified to the caller and open up individuals from vulnerable populations to targeted harassment, argued the industry body.

According to TRAI data, there are approximately 1145.5 million wireless subscribers and 26.5 million wireline subscribers in India (as of September 2022).