TRAI cracks down on unauthorised telemarketers, tells telcos to curb pesky messages

This means that service providers will now have to bar all telemarketers, who are not registered on DLT platform from handling the message template scrubbing and delivery of messages to recipients through access providers' network and also ensure that promotional messages are not transmitted by unregistered telemarketers or telemarketers using 10-digit telephone numbers.

According to the new directions, teleco’s shall also notify details of such telemarketers to other access providers, who shall, in turn, bar these entities from sending any kind of commercial communications via their networks.

The regulator added in its directions to take action against all such erring telemarketers as per the provisions of the regulations and also initiate actions as per relevant legal laws and directed all telecom service providers to comply within the new rules within 30 days.

As further line of course to deal with this menace in action mode, the TRAI last week had called a meeting with telecom service providers to discuss pending issues of dropped calls, service quality, pesky calls and wireless services.

This isn’t the first time the TRAI has been trying to deal with pesky messages but efforts are evident since at least a decade from now. In 2011, the TRAI issued a blanket ban on all promotional messages. But telemarkets soon found a loophole. Instead of using Indian websites, telemarketers used international websites to send pesky messages and phone calls, bypassing the TRAI ban. Since then, the cat and mouse game between the regulator and telemarketers has continued with consumers bearing the brunt.

In 2011, the regulators had penalised 15 telemarketers and issued notices to 900 individuals for flouting norms and subscription of 90 people were disconnected.

In November 2022, the TRAI in an official statement had informed that a Joint Committee of Regulators (JCOR) comprising the Reserve Bank of India, Securities & Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) and Ministry of Consumer Affairs was formed to make a joint action plan to curb financial frauds using telecom resources.

Speaking of bulk messages and unwanted calls from telemarketers, a survey done by Localcirlces in May 2022 highlighted that 95 percent of the participants said they get pesky calls and SMS texts (short messaging services) despite having registered their numbers in the 'Do Not Call' registry, also known as ‘Do Not Disturb’ (DND) list.