On 29th November 2022, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper on the introduction of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) in telecommunication networks. This was in response to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) seeking TRAI's advice on the matter. In simple words, CNAP aims to bring a Truecaller-like feature for all telecom users – where a person receiving the call will automatically get to know the name of the person who is calling, and it will become hard (and maybe even impossible) to make anonymous calls. But why is this Truecaller-like system being introduced? In a written communication, the DoT told TRAI that introducing this caller-identification system will help protect subscribers from unknown and spam callers. Identification of the person who's calling will "empower" the person receiving the call to make an informed decision on whether she should pick up the call or not. And yes, the CNAP is not expected to collect data like Truecaller, which scans all your contacts. Other ways of identification and data collection (like KYC) may be used. Is not allowing anonymous calls a violation of users' privacy? If a blanket CNAP system is enforced, the caller (person making the call) will always have to give away her identification (her name). For instance, if someone calls an Amazon delivery agent for enquiry or a travel service for booking a holiday, the caller will have no option but to give up her identity even before the call is picked up. This will also…
