A probe by the Information Regulator into caller identity app Truecaller regarding its alleged violation of the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia) is still ongoing, the company has confirmed.
Speaking to TechCentral in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Mmathebe Zvobwo, director for market development in South Africa at Truecaller, said the company has complied with the regulator’s requests.
“On the Popia front, yes, the Information Regulator did approach us, and they let us know their intention to investigate us. They gave us a complaint and asked for a submission, which we made,” Zvobwo said.
TechCentral in November 2024 reported that the Information Regulator had launched an inquiry into Truecaller after receiving a complaint from an unnamed third party. The complaint accused Truecaller of “multiple violations of Popia”.
Zvobwo declined to detail the specific accusations against Truecaller, but made it clear that they did not pertain to the sharing of user data with unauthorised third parties.
When asked if Truecaller did indeed violate the sections of Popia as accused by the unnamed complainant, Zvobwo said the regulator is yet to make a call on that.
“The investigation is ongoing, and they haven’t got to a point where they tell us their findings,” she said.
Expanded offering
Truecaller has continued to expand its product offering in the South African market. Two of its most recent new features are an AI-powered call screening feature and a family facility that allows one person to manage Truecaller functionality centrally on behalf of their loved ones.
Although screening unwanted calls is a key objective of the new feature, Zvobwo said decreasing the number of legitimate calls that go unanswered is another important objective for Truecaller.
Data from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance shows South Africans were inundated by 30 billion spam calls and 1.6 billion scam calls in 2025.
Read: Spam calls surge in South Africa despite apps, laws and tech fixes
Zvobwo said the overwhelming of volume of spam and scam interactions have led to dismissive attitudes among South Africans, with many opting not to answer phone calls from unknown numbers at all, choosing rather to wait for a follow-up e-mail or text if it’s important.
“By default, people are no longer answering their calls,” she said.
The family plan allows one person to use Truecaller to manage spam and scam calls for up to four additional devices. Zvobwo said the aim of the feature is to allow those who are more tech savvy – typically younger generations like millennials and Gen Z – to help their less sophisticated loved ones, especially the elderly, manage spam-related traffic.
Similar features have been launched by device manufacturers, the most notable being Apple, which introduced an AI call-screening feature with iOS 26 in September 2025.
Asked if Truecaller fears being cannibalised by manufacturers and telecommunications carriers that could build similar features, Zvobwo said Trucaller’s device-agnostic approach has allowed it to garner more than 450 million users globally, giving it a scale advantage that few can compete with.
Read: Spam call epidemic: operators say their hands are tied
The Information Regulator’s investigation continues to hang over the company, despite positive market advancements. Zvobwo said it may be years before the process reaches a conclusion.
“Our stance is to allow the process to continue and let the regulator let us know what we need to do. We will always be collaborative to try and find a way to understand where South Africa is from a policy perspective,” she said. – © 2026 NewsCentral Media
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