TRAI Pushes MeitY To Crack The Whip On Spam Via OTT Apps Like WhatsApp

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is intensifying its fight against spam and expanding the focus of its crackdown from SMS to over-the-top (OTT) messaging apps. 

As per an Economic Times report, the telecom regulator is now pushing the Ministry of Electronics and InformationTechnology (MeitY) to take strong measures against unsolicited communications via apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. 

At a recent joint committee meeting of regulators, TRAI officials urged MeitY to control spam, which is now being perpetrated through communication apps. The telecom regulator also emphasised the need for a collaborative effort to curb the menace. 

Curiously, the telecom regulator has made a beeline for the ministry as OTT communications do not come under its ambit. Notably, the shift of spam to online messaging apps comes as TRAI has taken measures such as launching blockchain-based distributed ledger Technology (DLT) platform to manage commercial SMS traffic.

With OTT apps outside the regulatory framework, telcos reportedly believe that stricter SMS regulations are pushing more commercial traffic to less regulated OTT platforms. Also, the operators reportedly feel that TRAI’s efforts to curb spam and phishing may not bring the desired results if OTT continues to remain outside the regulator’s purview.

However, TRAI reportedly appears to have no intentions to bring OTT apps under its mandate and is therefore seeking support of MeitY to curb spam and phishing on these platforms.

The report quoted an official as saying, “The telcos first need to act against spam that is happening through the SMS channel. We will take a call around OTT at a later stage. Right now, the TRAI mandate is not fully complied by the telcos”.

The latest development comes at a time when TRAI has been sifting through various proposals to regulate OTT apps. In July last year, the regulator came out with a consultation paper on the regulatory mechanism for OTT communication services and selective banning of such services. 

The aftermath saw telcos actively pitching for bringing OTT communication apps under the regulatory ambit citing national security concerns and concerns related to level playing field. However, OTT players argue that they are already regulated under the IT Act and that additional rules could stifle innovation.

In connection with this, TRAI now plans to hold an open house discussion before submitting new recommendations to the government.

Meanwhile, the telecom regulator continues to crack its whip on spam. Earlier this month, it said that telcos have blacklisted 50 entities and disconnected more than 2.75 lakh mobile numbers and other telecom resources in response to its anti-spam directives. 

TRAI also said that it has received over 7.9 Lakh complaints against unregistered telemarketers in the first half of 2024. This led to TRAI issuing strict directives to telcos on August 13, mandating immediate cessation of promotional voice calls from unregistered senders.