Telemarketers, scammers and robocalls persist in the face of third-party applications like Truecaller, efforts by device manufacturers to block spam using their own software tools and even intervention by the Information Regulator. The onslaught raises a serious question: how can South Africans put a stop to the time-wasting menace?
For many South Africans, the go-to solution is an app called Truecaller - or others like it. These third-party apps keep a database of suspicious numbers that users can update each time an unknown number makes it through their spam filter. This functionality is especially useful for keeping up with telemarketers who change the numbers they use frequently in an effort to circumvent these tools.
However, these apps may soon be under threat. TechCentral reported in November that the Information Regulator had launched a probe into Truecaller's compliance with local data privacy laws - specifically, the Protection of Personal Information Act Popia. The matter is still under investigation by the regulator there's no word yet on whether it will act against Truecaller and other spam-blocking apps, though doing so could lead to blowback from phone users.
Some device manufacturers have opted to create spam call management applications of their own.
At its developers' conference last month, Apple announced it was developing a more advanced spam-call blocker. It will be available with the launch of iOS 26 in the spring.