Airtel Kenya has launched Africa’s first AI-driven Spam Alert Service, protecting subscribers from the growing flood of spam messages, fraudulent calls and malicious weblinks. This new solution is auto enabled for all Airtel users, no app download or manual setup required.

A New Layer of Digital Security for Airtel Users

The new AI-powered feature introduces dual-layered protection against unsolicited messages and scams. According to Airtel Kenya, this technology works on two fronts: one at the network level and another within the IT systems infrastructure, filtering over 18 million messages per day, with each SMS scanned in just 2 milliseconds.

How It Works

The AI system classifies suspicious messages as ‘Suspected SPAM’ using over 250 data points, such as:

  • Frequency of SMS sent by the sender

  • Patterns in messaging behavior

  • Geographical dispersion of targets

  • Real-time blacklist analysis for harmful links

It doesn’t read the actual contents of SMS messages, so your privacy is protected while you get high level of protection.

Why This Matters

Spam SMS and scam calls are a big problem in Kenya’s telecom space. A 2019 Truecaller Insights Report showed that the average Kenyan mobile user receives up to 102 spam messages monthly, that’s over 1,200 unwanted texts per year.

No cost to the service and no third-party apps, Airtel’s in-house AI is a seamless and private solution to a long-time nuisance.

Built-in Web Link Scanning for Safer Browsing

What sets Airtel’s Spam Alert Service apart is the ability to detect malicious links in SMS messages. The tool scans texts for blacklisted URLs and warns you before you can click and fall victim to phishing or malware.

Company Statement

Speaking at the launch in Nairobi, Airtel Kenya Managing Director Ashish Malhotra said:

“With the new AI-powered spam alert, we are enabling our customers to be more aware of fraud attempts on their phones and to have a better experience of our services. This is the first AI tool of its kind in Kenya and shows our commitment to customer safety and digital innovation.”

No Action Required from Users

The Spam Alert Service is already enabled for all Airtel Kenya users as a free service. No app to download or manual setup required, it works in the background and flags suspicious messages and keeps unwanted messages away.

Conclusion

In this digital age, Airtel Kenya’s AI-powered Spam Alert Service is a good thing. As more Kenyans use mobile for banking, communication and business, such proactive tools will be key to building trust, safety and convenience in the mobile space.