AT&T announced yesterday that it will be rolling out Branded Caller ID on Android phones and iPhones as a means of fighting robocalls by showing the logo of companies making calls to consumers. The Branded Caller ID is from TransUnion, which purchased Neustar back in 2021.
The What: Android phone and iPhone users will automatically start seeing logos for companies that have signed up for the Branded Caller ID service, provided that the users are on AT&T’s network.
- Android phone users will automatically see the logo when receiving calls. For other operating systems, like the iPhone’s iOS, customers will need to make sure their phones are either unlocked or that facial recognition is turned on if they want to receive the branded calls.
The How: The technology is based on the Federal Communication Commissions’s STIR/SHAKEN protocols. The technology is equivalent to a digital signature that verifies the identity of the organization making the calls and provides a level of trust to show the call is legitimate.
- Branded Caller ID is a layer above STIR/SHAKEN, which adds the logo of the company making the call, to provide yet another piece of information to consumers to help them make a decision whether to answer a call or not.
- Companies wishing to include their logo on calls will need to sign up with TransUnion’s Branded Call Display.
The When: There was no official announcement detailing when the technology would become available, so it’s probably safe to say that AT&T is already rolling it out, or will be doing so soon.
