In India, Truecaller has launched an in-app digital government directory. According to the company, this will facilitate interaction between Indian citizens and the government by providing easy access to thousands of verified contacts of government officials.
Truecaller Brings Government Directory Support in India to Help Citizens
This feature will also aid in the development of trust in citizen services by protecting users from scams, fraud, and spam.
The digital government directory gives users of the Truecaller app access to helplines, police departments, embassies, schools, hospitals, and other important departments in about 23 states and union territories.
Truecaller says that this information came from the government and other official government sources.
This initiative aims to improve and streamline public access to government representatives as well as assist over 240 million Indian Truecaller users in connecting with the government in an easy and convenient manner.
Truecaller stated that it has learned from interactions with netizens and relevant stakeholders that one of the most prevalent phone scams involves the impersonation of government officials.
A green background with a blue tick indicates that the number has been verified. Truecaller said it is working with various government departments to expand the directory and, based on user feedback, is considering adding contacts at the district and municipal levels in the next phase.
Truecaller has also made it simple for any government agency to share information and become verified in the directory.
Truecaller’s Director of Public Affairs, Pragya Misra, commented on the launch:
Truecaller has evolved to become more than just a Caller Identification app and is today bridging the digital divide between the urban and growing semi-urban/rural markets in India by enabling trust in digital communication. Our attempt is to protect people from widespread impersonation of government officials, leading to scams and frauds. We believe that with this feature, citizens can easily reach out to the right authorities when in need. This is a first of its kind digital directory of government numbers, and we will keep improving on it based on user feedback. We will continue to align our efforts to make communication safe by building trust.
