In Short:
The telecom regulator, Trai, is urging the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) to address the growing issue of spam and phishing on apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. Currently, these apps are not regulated by Trai, which only oversees traditional telecom channels. To combat spam, Trai has mandated that telecom companies implement a whitelist for commercial messages, but warns that many businesses may shift to unregulated messaging apps. While Trai is not yet ready to regulate OTT apps, it plans to have discussions on broader OTT regulation in the future.
Efforts Intensify to Combat Spam and Phishing on OTT Platforms
NEW DELHI: The growing concern over spam and phishing scams has prompted the telecom regulator to urge the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) to step up its game in tackling these issues, particularly as they increasingly migrate to popular over-the-top (OTT) applications like WhatsApp and Telegram.
The Regulatory Landscape
Currently, these OTT platforms fall under the jurisdiction of MeitY for compliance and regulation, leaving the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the telecom department without authority over them. While Trai has been proactive in addressing pesky calls and messages that often lead to financial scams, the same cannot be said for communication via OTT apps.
Collaboration Between Regulators
In a recent joint committee meeting, officials from Trai emphasized the need for MeitY to join forces in combating the spam epidemic that has now extended into these apps. The regulators believe a collaborative approach is essential to tackle the escalating issue of unwanted communications effectively.
Current Measures and Challenges
In efforts to mitigate spam, telecom operators have adopted a blockchain-based distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform to manage commercial traffic. However, this system does not currently extend to OTT communications. Just a few weeks ago, Trai mandated that telecom companies cease transmitting messages that include URLs, OTT links, APKs (Android application packages), or unapproved call-back numbers starting from October 1.
This new whitelisting process requires entities, such as banks and e-commerce companies, to register all relevant information with telecom providers. Only messages that match these criteria will be permitted, while others will face blocks.
Impact on the Telecom Sector
Telcos have raised concerns that with these regulations, a significant volume of commercial traffic may shift to OTT platforms, which currently lack such stringent oversight. Right now, telecom companies send out approximately 1.5 to 1.7 billion SMS messages each day.
Future Regulatory Discussions
Operators have pointed out that the decrease in traditional SMS traffic could be problematic if OTT services aren’t brought into the regulatory fold as well. However, Trai is not yet inclined to regulate these apps and is seeking MeitY‘s assistance in tackling spam issues.
An official stated, “Telcos need to focus first on curbing spam in the SMS sector. We’ll consider OTT oversight later on. Right now, compliance with the Trai guidelines is still incomplete among telecom operators.”
Looking Ahead
Regarding OTT regulations, Trai is planning to host an open house discussion before presenting its recommendations to the government. In July of last year, Trai published a consultation paper regarding the regulation of OTT communication services, following a request from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to reassess its previous stance from 2020, which suggested that OTT services need not be regulated.
