Technologies aimed at combating telemarketing have intensified the dispute between the two major telecommunications operators, Vivo and TIM, according to Tecnoblog. Recently, representatives from Vivo sought out authorities to express their dissatisfaction with the tool, which was quickly created by the Italian competitor and began operating free of charge on September 8th.
Market sources indicated that, from Vivo's perspective, this service is being used exclusively to prevent calls it makes to TIM customers. Thus, Vivo alleges that this practice does not follow the principles of equity and transparency established by the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), suggesting that TIM is only blocking calls considered abusive coming from Vivo.
On the other hand, senior executives at TIM consider that Vivo made a 'masterstroke' by developing an anti-spam feature that prevents the harassment of its own customers with offers, while also making it difficult for other companies to 'pester' these consumers. This puts the issue in national focus and helps maintain the customer base.
The technology developed by Vivo was created internally and has been in use for at least eighteen months. Although there was initially a plan to charge a monthly fee of R$10, the service is currently offered free of charge to all customers. This model was even mandated by Anatel for the entire sector, requiring that any anti-telemarketing service be free, transparent, and equitable.
TIM's most recent move is seen at the headquarters in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, as an act of 'reciprocity.' Meanwhile, Claro implemented a similar service on September 13th, although it still needs to provide details about the blocking criteria.
It is important to note that the latest anti-telemarketing tools represent an advance compared to the native applications of Apple and Samsung, as well as TrueCaller, because the filtering happens directly on the telephony network, preventing the phone from ringing.