Trusted Calling in a Distrustful World: The Framework for Global Trusted Calling

Below is a recap of the interview.

What inspired TransUnion to invest in restoring trust in voice communication?

The way people connect is through communications like the phone channel. TransUnion is typically known more for its identity information than communications or working with phone calls. However, as part of the acquisition of Neustar, the company inherited capabilities in that space. As a result, we’ve essentially brought the two together: communications and trusted information.  

Using that trusted information to enable verified connections between businesses and consumers — so they can engage more safely — closely aligns with TransUnion’s mission to help consumers and businesses transact with confidence.

Why is trust in phone calls declining globally, and what are the consequences for businesses and consumers?

The decline is mainly attributed to the rapid increase in fraud and robocalls, especially now that deepfakes and imposter scams have upped the game. Over the past several years, consumers have been inundated with unwanted or fraudulent calls. It’s not just a nuisance; it often also leads to financial loss.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phone fraud is the number one reason Americans lose money — roughly $12.5 billion annually. With the average consumer loss per incident is about $1,500, it’s not surprising people simply stopped answering their phones.

Unfortunately, for businesses, that means reduced engagement, lost transactions and higher operational costs. On the other hand, for consumers, it may lead to missing important or time-sensitive calls. Ultimately, the loss of trust in the phone channel impacts both sides because it erodes connection, commerce and confidence.

How does branded calling help improve contact rates and consumer confidence?

Branded calling is fundamentally about transparency. When people know who’s calling, they’re more likely to answer the phone. It helps overcome that anonymity barrier and build trust by clearly identifying the caller through rich call content, including the name of the company, its logo and the reason for the call. In addition, branded calling ensures calls have been authenticated, making  them more trustworthy.

What role does call authentication play in preventing fraud and impersonation?

Call authentication is actually the technical backbone of trust. It ensures the call came from the business it claims to represent. Using technologies like digital certificates, we can verify a call hasn’t been tampered with or altered in transit. This can then be communicated to consumers via a green checkmark or trusted indicator showing the caller’s identity is genuine. Authentication is the underlying technology that establishes trust and makes branded calling reliable and secure.

How do you tailor solutions for different regions and regulatory environments?

We often get asked whether branded calling and call trust are challenges unique to the US or if they’re global issues.

Unfortunately, robocalls and phone fraud are common no matter where you go. This is true for the US and UK, Canada, Brazil and many other areas. And while the problem and value of the phone call are the same, the scale and technologies used vary somewhat — so we often need to adapt to the local technologies and laws. And that's why you’ll sometimes see variances in how the regulators approach this. However, countries can't address this problem on their own because phone calls don’t stop at national borders. This is a global problem and it needs a global solution.

What partnerships or collaborations would help accelerate the adoption of trusted calling solutions?

Trusted calling needs to work across different types of phones, carriers and use cases — whether it’s a financial services company, hospital or government agency. This demands collaboration across the entire ecosystem, including phone manufacturers, operating systems, carriers and regulators.

In addition, public awareness is also critical so consumers can understand the difference between trusted and unverified calls. Furthermore, regulatory consistency is also a key enabler, helping ensure these solutions work seamlessly and securely everywhere.

What innovations are on the horizon for trusted communications?

I am often asked, “How do you see branded calling evolving?” I’d break it down into three types of innovation we see coming. First, how branded calling itself will evolve. Beyond displaying logos or call reasons, we may see the addition of more features, such as a video of the company consumers are engaging with for additional transparency.

The second is phone calls don’t exist in isolation since consumers use multiple channels like email, messaging and so on. We see a lot of interplay between communication across different channels, and trusted communication will increasingly connect all of them into a cohesive experience.

Finally, it’s not just about facilitating phone calls. These communications are means for businesses to improve engagement with their customers. When a business engages, it’s trying to either transact, upsell or protect you. In all these cases, trusted communication is the foundation. These capabilities will increasingly integrate with broader solutions across and beyond TransUnion.

How do you see artificial intelligence (AI) and voice biometrics shaping the future of call authentication?

AI is on everybody's mind because it’s transforming many processes. But while generative AI (Gen-AI) enables innovation, it also introduces risks like voice cloning and synthetic impersonation. We’re developing solutions that can detect when voice is synthesized or cloned, or if it’s not being spoken by a human but rather generated by some type of machine. In addition, we’re incorporating AI into our authentication capabilities to detect fraud as an additional risk vector.

To be successful in combatting fraud, Jonjie concluded, businesses must adopt a customer-first approach and leverage technology that transcends borders.