Movistar fights spam calls with ai, but is it enough?

Spain's largest telecom provider, Movistar, is waging war on spam calls, unveiling a new network security tool dubbed “Vuelve a contestar ¿sí?” (Answer Again, Yes?). The move comes as fraudulent calls surge—Telefonica, Movistar’s parent company, reports millions of such connections monthly—threatening to erode user trust in a fundamental communication channel. But the question remains: can predictive AI truly stem the tide?

A smarter filter, not just a block list

Forget outdated block lists. Movistar’s new “Spam Calls” filter operates in real-time, analyzing call behavior within its network. When a number exhibits classic spam patterns—aggressive telemarketing, mass dialing, or outright fraud—users receive an on-screen alert labeling the call as “Spam” or “Fraudulent Call,” allowing them to decide whether to answer. The service is automatically activated for most customers and, according to Movistar, has already blocked over 190 million fraudulent calls since March 2025, with a detection rate nearing 97%—a figure that warrants healthy skepticism, to be sure.

The company defends claims that recent router models—WiFi 6 and WiFi 7—can negatively impact connection speed, offering troubleshooting tips. This is a crucial detail, as users may initially attribute call blocking glitches to their home network rather than the new spam filter.

Manual activation & potential pitfalls

While the network-level filter offers broad protection, Movistar and its sister company, O2, also provide a more granular control option accessible through the “Mi Movistar” app. Users can manually activate call blocking features, requiring them to authenticate via DNI or phone line and navigate to the “Network Protection” and “Call Spam Identification” sections. But here’s the rub: no system is perfect. There’s a genuine risk of misidentification, flagging legitimate calls as spam—a potential inconvenience, though Movistar assures this is rare, as the system only targets numbers displaying a high probability of fraudulent activity.

Beyond movistar: a regulatory shift

Movistar’s efforts are unfolding alongside broader regulatory action. Spain is actively combating spam with the recently enacted Law of Customer Service Attention (SAC), designed to curtail unsolicited calls and abusive practices. The previous general telecom law proved ineffective, allowing companies to skirt restrictions through tactics like embedding consent in website cookies. The new law also addresses issues like the prevalence of fake reviews on platforms like Google Maps and imposes a three-minute waiting time limit for customer service call queues.

The SAC also mandates that subscription services—Netflix, Apple TV, iCloud, and others—must provide 15-day advance notice of renewals and allow users to easily cancel. The law's intent is to tackle the pervasive nuisance of spam and protect consumers from increasingly sophisticated fraudulent schemes, many originating from entities posing as job recruiters like Indeed or Infojobs.

The sheer volume of spam calls—now numbering in the millions monthly—underscores the scale of the challenge. While Movistar’s AI-powered filter represents a significant step forward, the battle against fraudulent communications is far from over.