TRAI Says Apps Cannot Block Calls From 1600 Number Series

India's telecom regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI), said app developers cannot block or tag calls from the 1600 number series as spam. Promotional calls from the 140 series also cannot be filtered by apps. The only way to block such calls is through the Do Not Disturb (DND) registry, the regulator said. Customers can register their preferences on the DND registry to block unwanted calls. The clarification means users cannot rely on third-party apps to label these specific calls as spam. TRAI's statement effectively limits the ability of call-filtering apps to manage government and promotional traffic.