No matter how much there is the Robinson List and other initiatives, today we continue to receive unknown calls that are, on the one hand, annoying, and, on the other, dangerous. Due to all this, Telefónica is working on a new technology that, if successfully implemented, would help O2 customers no longer suffer any of these calls. Plus, it will be free.
We are all tired of calls from unknown numbers. Many of us feel tense every time our cell phone rings and the “unknown number” message appears on the screen. Because we always have to consider whether to respond or not and we expose ourselves to headaches. Luckily, Telefónica is working on a technology known as Brand ID with which it aims to put an end to this problem. For now, it will be tested by O2 users.
First in the UK
This technology is being launched in the UK through Telefónica’s UK subsidiary in its joint venture with VM02 and Virgin Media. They say that, although they are going to test the system among British users, their goal is to take it to other markets when they have proven its effectiveness. The mission they have set themselves is to ensure that users do not have to suffer so much from the problem of unknown calls, which has been proven not to arouse much sympathy.
According to a study shared by Telefónica carried out by Hiya, 92% of citizens act with suspicion when they receive one of these calls, while 46% react directly with rejection. The solution to this situation will be this new caller identification technology with which Telefónica ensures that O2 users will be able to improve their sensations. Specifically, they say that the operator’s users will gain security and confidence by no longer having to suffer receiving calls from unknown numbers.
Will be free
But what is this new technology? We already know that access to it will be free for all O2 users in the UK, but it is important to bear in mind that its role will be to identify calls even from those unknown numbers. How will they achieve this? It will not be easy, but the joint venture is attracting the collaboration of more and more companies, banks and other entities whose participation will be crucial for Brand ID to be successful. At the moment it has been confirmed that there are already around 150 British companies that are joining the initiative to put an end to calls from unknown numbers.
To begin with, the first users who will have this technology at their disposal will be O2 customers who have Android phones. Some good news is that Virgin Media O2 has mentioned that it will not only reach O2 customers, but also those of the operators that use its network. This means that customers of companies such as Tesco Mobile will also receive it and that, in this way, it can be tested among a larger group of people.
Thanks to this system, users will be able to know who is really calling them and thus make a decision about whether or not to trust the call they are receiving. With this first step, O2 is stepping firmly to help users, but it has no intention of stopping there. Before the end of 2024 they will also launch a new technology known as Call Defense that will use artificial intelligence to combat spam. This new tool will be able to detect whether the numbers are dangerous or not and thus significantly reduce fraud and scam attempts that threaten users.
But even though they are reinforcing security with new measures, O2 is not forgetting to remind its customers to be careful with the calls and messages they receive. They also mention that mobile phone scam attempts are at an all-time high, so it is a time when everyone has to be careful.
