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TRAI’s New Regulations to Curb Pesky Calls and SMSes
Context:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced key changes to its regulations to combat spam calls and messages. These amendments to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018, will be implemented in phases (30 and 60 days).
Categorisation and Control Over Commercial Communication
- TRAI categorises commercial communication into four types: Transactional, Service, Promotional, and Government.
- Messages will have designated suffixes for easy identification: -P (Promotional), -S (Service), -T (Transactional), and -G (Government).
- Users will have the option to opt out of promotional messages from telecom operators.
Improved Spam Reporting Mechanism
- Users can report spam within seven days of receiving it, compared to three days earlier.
- A new DND (Do Not Disturb) app has been launched to block spam messages, register complaints, and track actions taken.
- Automated robocalls can now only be made from a special series of numbers.
Stricter Measures Against Spammers
- Telemarketers violating regulations repeatedly can be blacklisted and have their telecom resources disconnected across all operators for one year.
- First-time violation: Outgoing services of all telecom resources will be barred for 15 days.
- Senders are restricted from using normal 10-digit numbers for telemarketing; only designated 140-series (promotional) and 160-series (service/transactional) numbers can be used.
- Mandatory physical verification, biometric authentication, and unique mobile number linking for senders and telemarketers during registration.
Financial Penalties on Telecom Operators for Non-Compliance
- Rs 2 lakh penalty for the first instance of misreporting spam complaints.
- Rs 5 lakh for the second violation.
- Rs 10 lakh for repeated violations.
Obligations on Telecom Operators
- Telecom operators must analyse call and SMS patterns in real-time to detect spammers using parameters like:
- Unusually high call volumes
- Short call durations
- Low incoming-to-outgoing call ratios
- Deployment of honeypots (dedicated numbers to attract spam calls/SMSes) to analyse spam trends.
- Easy access to spam complaint registration in telco mobile apps and web portals, including complaint filing using screenshots.
- TRAI can conduct audits through a third-party agency on the effectiveness of anti-spam mechanisms.
Impact of Previous Anti-Spam Measures
- In October 2023, 151,000 complaints were registered against spam calls, marking a 20% decline from August 2023.
- TRAI’s enforcement led to the disconnection of 2.75 lakh spam numbers and blacklisting of 50 calling entities in 2023.
- A LocalCircles survey found that 27% of mobile subscribers noticed a reduction in spam calls.
- The Sanchar Saathi Portal has:
- Disconnected 27.5 million fraudulent mobile connections.
- Blocked over 2.5 million lost/stolen devices.
- Deactivated 1.2 million WhatsApp accounts linked to cybercrimes.
- Frozen 1.2 million mule bank accounts to prevent financial fraud.
