Relief from spam calls and messages in sight as TRAI gives deadline to telecom operators to crackdown on spammers
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is taking steps to curb spam and has given a deadline to telecom operators to comply
Along with from spam calls, no messages containing URLs or APKs that are not whitelisted will be permitted for delivery to consumer devices.
In a major step to curb the increasing number of spam calls, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has mandated all telecom operators to stop voice promotional calls whether pre-recorded or computer generated or otherwise from all unregistered senders or telemarketers.
Next month onwards, TRAI has announced that any entity found misusing its telecom resources for making spam calls will face severe consequences. These include the immediate disconnection of all telecom resources by the service provider and a two-year blacklisting from all telecom operators.
This step is expected to act as a substantial deterrent against spammers who misuse SIP/PRI lines for unsolicited communications. These new regulations are aimed at ensuring better compliance by telemarketers and safeguarding consumers from unsolicited commercial communications (UCC).
Further, no messages containing URLs or APKs that are not whitelisted will be permitted for delivery to consumer devices. This move aims to block potentially harmful links often used by scammers to coax unsuspecting consumers into scams or downloading malicious software.
Telecom operators have been given time till October 31, 2024, to complete the technical implementation of entity and telemarketer chain binding to ensure the traceability of message flows. This step will make it easier to track the origin of spam messages, further strengthening the regulatory framework.
Despite consumers registering their preferences in the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, either blocking all commercial communications or selectively blocking categories as per their preference, unregistered telemarketers (UTMs) have found ways to bypass regulations, often using 10-digit numbers instead of the designated 140xxx series for commercial calls. The government has received a large number of complaints against UTMs, with over 12 lakh complaints in 2023 alone. The minister stated that telecom operators have been taking action, including issuing warnings, imposing usage caps, and disconnecting repeat violators.
All telecom providers have been directed to comply with these directives and submit regular updates on the actions taken on the 1st and 16th of every month. This decisive action by TRAI is expected to significantly reduce spam calls and provide relief to consumers.
