TRAI Tightens Grip on Telemarketers to Combat Spam and Fraud

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) announced stringent actions to curb spam and fraudulent activities by telemarketers, mandating traceability and authorisation of messages from September 1, 2024. Violations will incur penalties, including blacklisting and service suspension, to ensure a secure messaging ecosystem.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has escalated its efforts against pesky telemarketers. On Tuesday, the telecom regulator directed all service providers to implement specific measures to curb misuse of messaging services and protect consumers from fraud.

Starting September 1, 2024, all access service providers are prohibited from transmitting messages containing URLs, OTT links, or call-back numbers unless they are 'whitelisted' by the senders. Additionally, from November 1, 2024, the trail of all messages from senders to recipients must be traceable, and any message with a mismatched telemarketer chain will be rejected.

TRAI's new directives will also migrate telemarketing calls using the 140 series to an online DLT platform by September 30, 2024, for better monitoring. Non-compliance will lead to severe punitive measures, including blacklisting content templates and suspending services. Such steps reinforce TRAI's commitment to maintaining a secure and consumer-friendly messaging ecosystem.

(With inputs from agencies.)