Close Menu

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Jenna Nisbet Wraps Up Her Third Berg River Canoe Marathon Title

    July 6, 2025

    Huawei looks to tap SA’s intelligent industrial digital transformation

    July 6, 2025

    From warzones to lockdown, board games can give a sense of control amid chaos

    July 6, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Service
    • Advertisement
    Sunday, July 6
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
    ABSA Africa TV
    • Breaking News
    • Africa News
    • World News
    • Editorial
    • Environ/Climate
    • More
      • Cameroon
      • Ambazonia
      • Politics
      • Culture
      • Travel
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • AfroSingles
    • Donate
    ABSLive
    ABSA Africa TV
    Home»Technology»Spam calls surge in South Africa despite apps, laws and tech fixes
    Technology

    Spam calls surge in South Africa despite apps, laws and tech fixes

    Chris AnuBy Chris AnuJuly 6, 2025No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr Email Reddit
    Spam calls surge in South Africa despite apps, laws and tech fixes
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Copy Link


    Ask most South Africans and they’ll tell you the country’s spam call epidemic is getting worse. Despite multipronged efforts to keep the problem at bay, telemarketers continue to plague phone users with endless spam calls.

    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.

    Some device manufacturers have opted to create spam call management applications of their own

    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.

    Many Samsung Galaxy devices, for example, have a smart call feature that uses a combination of Samsung and Google data to screen calls. Numbers that are flagged as potential spam or fraud come with on-screen warnings as the call comes in, and users have the option to block and report them. A “block unknown numbers” settings allows users to restrict calls from numbers that are not in their phonebook, though this will likely lead to users missing many legitimate calls.

    Apple’s solution

    Apple has similar functionality, with users able to block calls from unknown numbers, too. However, Apple does not keep a database of known spam or scam numbers, so iOS users rely on third-party apps like Truecaller for identifying rogue callers. iPhone users have not had as much success with third-party apps compared to Android users and Apple’s limits on deep third-party integration with iOS is likely to blame.

    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.

    The first feature is Call Screening, where a bot answers a call before the user is alerted of it and asks the speaker why they are calling. The reason supplied by the caller is then shown on-screen (in text) as part of the incoming call alert, allowing users to decide whether to answer.

    Read: Scam call epidemic: lessons for South Africa from Down Under

    Whether device-native spam blocking features are more effective than third-party apps like Truecaller remains to be seen.

    On one hand, a device-native solution engenders more trust among users, who may not be comfortable with sharing their personal data, including their contacts and message contents, with an unknown third party. On the other hand, third-party apps’ databases are larger – for now.

    Despite a plethora of technical solutions, some spam calls inevitably get through, creating the need for further approaches to solving the problem. The Information Regulator in April introduced amendments to the Popia regulations with the intention of further limiting direct marketers from calling people without their consent under the law.

    The new rules may force marketers to obtain consent before selling to prospects not already their customers. The consent must be recorded and made available to the subject upon request.

    According to Simone Dickson, consultant at commercial law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, telemarketers must implement mechanisms to ensure that telephone conversations are easily recorded and accessible, particularly when a data subject (person being called) requests the destruction and deletion of their personal information or objects to it being processed.

    Read: Spam robocall epidemic in South Africa

    “Since opting out is no longer considered valid consent, organisations must revise their internal procedures for obtaining consent from consumers for direct marketing purposes through electronic communications,” said Dickson.  – © 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Get breaking news from TechCentral on WhatsApp. Sign up here.

    Don’t miss:

    Information Regulator blasts data hoarding by gated communities, office parks



    Source link

    Post Views: 4
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Chris Anu
    • Website

    Related Posts

    Huawei looks to tap SA’s intelligent industrial digital transformation

    July 6, 2025

    Honor’s ultra-thin foldable sets new bar ahead of Samsung reveal

    July 6, 2025

    Biometric fee hike to impact prepaid cellular users

    July 5, 2025
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Top Posts

    Who is Duma Boko, Botswana’s new President?

    November 6, 2024

    As African Leaders Gather in Addis Ababa to Pick a New Chairperson, They are Reminded That it is Time For a Leadership That Represents True Pan-Africanism

    January 19, 2025

    BREAKING NEWS: Tapang Ivo Files Federal Lawsuit Against Nsahlai Law Firm for Defamation, Seeks $100K in Damages

    March 14, 2025

    Kamto Not Qualified for 2025 Presidential Elections on Technicality Reasons, Despite Declaration of Candidacy

    January 18, 2025
    Don't Miss

    Jenna Nisbet Wraps Up Her Third Berg River Canoe Marathon Title

    By Prudence MakogeJuly 6, 2025

    Jenna Nisbet has won the four-stage event 2025 Berg River Canoe Marathon, at Velddrif on…

    Your Poster Your Poster

    Huawei looks to tap SA’s intelligent industrial digital transformation

    July 6, 2025

    From warzones to lockdown, board games can give a sense of control amid chaos

    July 6, 2025

    Solar’s Second Act | africa.com

    July 6, 2025
    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Vimeo

    Subscribe to Updates

    Sign up and get the latest breaking ABS Africa news before others get it.

    About Us
    About Us

    ABS TV, the first pan-African news channel broadcasting 24/7 from the diaspora, is a groundbreaking platform that bridges Africa with the rest of the world.

    We're accepting new partnerships right now.

    Address: 9894 Bissonette St, Houston TX. USA, 77036
    Contact: +1346-504-3666

    Facebook X (Twitter) Pinterest YouTube WhatsApp
    Our Picks

    Jenna Nisbet Wraps Up Her Third Berg River Canoe Marathon Title

    July 6, 2025

    Huawei looks to tap SA’s intelligent industrial digital transformation

    July 6, 2025

    From warzones to lockdown, board games can give a sense of control amid chaos

    July 6, 2025
    Most Popular

    Jenna Nisbet Wraps Up Her Third Berg River Canoe Marathon Title

    July 6, 2025

    Did Paul Biya Actually Return to Cameroon on Monday? The Suspicion Behind the Footage

    October 23, 2024

    Surrender 1.9B CFA and Get Your D.O’: Pirates Tell Cameroon Gov’t

    October 23, 2024
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Service
    © 2025 Absa Africa TV. All right reserved by absafricatv.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.