NEW DELHI: A new automatic feature to silence calls was introduced by WhatsApp, with the aim to target potential spam calls, a headache for all users.
The feature is just called “silence unknown callers” in the WhatsApp settings menu and will bring an additional layer of protection from increased unwanted calls and messages from unknown numbers.
The new feature was rolled out worldwide on Tuesday. WhatsApp said in a news release that it will “automatically screen out spam, scams, and calls from unknown people.”
WhatsApp users in India were found to be among the users who are most affected, with an average receipt of about 17 spam calls per month, according to a 2021 Truecaller report.
Meta-owned WhatsApp’s new feature has been designed at providing increased protection and more control over incoming calls by users, which comes in response to complaints about rising spam calls.
The new feature will not make unknown calls ring on WhatsApp, but these will be instead redirected to the call list of the user, enabling the user to still see the missed call and make out if it was mistakenly identified as spam.
The Silence Unknown Callers feature is being paired by the company with its Privacy Checkup- a feature that was also launched on the same day. This will enable the user to navigate through the steps required to secure their messages, calls and also their personal information.
The company has made the change after reports emerged of more than 500 million users having complained of an increased number of spam calls made from international numbers in recent months, especially from countries with area codes +251 (Ethiopia), +60 (Malaysia), +62 (Indonesia), +254 (Kenya), and +84 (Vietnam).
A WhatsApp spokesperson said, “Bad actors find different ways to scam users. International scam calls is a new way that bad actors have recently adopted.”
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s Minister of State for IT, while responding to the issue of increased spam calls, said at the Public Affairs Forum last month that a notice to Meta was sent by him about the huge surge in incoming spam calls, said media reports.
He reiterated that openness trust, safety, and accountability are the responsibility of social media platforms being delivered to digital citizens.
According to a US Federal Trade Commission report in 2022, the top five scams are from callers who pose as online shopping sites, who propose business and job opportunities that seem to be real, provide reports on investment opportunities, as well as offerings of prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries.
The FTC reportedly received 2.4 million reports of fraud last year, and said that Americans have lost roughly $8.8 billion last year, an increase of over 30% from 2021.
Meta stressed on the belief that its new security additions will be able to reduce the current amount of spam calls by at least 50%. The company said it will continue to work relentlessly to ensure a safe experience for users.
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