TRAI Tightens Grip on Spam: Whitelists URLs, Blocks 18 Lakh Numbers

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) mandates businesses to whitelist over 2.75 lakh URLs to combat spam. The new rules, effective October 1, enforce stricter measures against spam calls and messages, with 800 entities blacklisted and 18 lakh numbers disconnected for non-compliance.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced significant strides in its fight against spam communications, with over 10,000 business entities having whitelisted more than 2.75 lakh URLs following the guidance issued in August.

Under the new directive effective from October 1, Access Service Providers are required to cease transmitting messages containing non-whitelisted URLs, APKs, and OTT links, a decision aimed at fortifying cybersecurity by preventing threats like malware and phishing. TRAI's directive has led to the blacklisting of over 800 entities and disconnection of more than 18 lakh numbers for non-compliance.

Moreover, TRAI is enhancing telemarketing call management by migrating these calls to the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform, thereby improving monitoring and curbing misuse. Additional measures include blocking 3.5 lakh unused headers and 12 lakh content templates prone to fraud. TRAI continues to collaborate with regulatory bodies to strengthen the control over commercial communications.

(With inputs from agencies.)