 "September 1 deadline: Trai asks top regulators to apply whitelist norms")
To tackle the problem of spam messages and calls, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), various sector regulators, and government agencies to implement the mandatory whitelisting or registration of internet links, Android application packages (APKs) and call back numbers sent through text messages by September 1.
At a meeting of the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCOR) convened by TRAI, the telecom regulator urged upon the need for a joint effort to put a check on the problem of spam messages and calls, stressing that “The timeline fixed by TRAI's latest directions needs to be enforced.”
TRAI had set the end of August as the deadline for telecom operators to stop all text messages containing unregistered URLs and APKs in a bid to curb rampant phishing attacks. URL is essentially the link for a website, or the address of a unique resource on the internet, while an APK is an executable file that contains all the data needed to install and run an Android app.
The decision is billed to have a major impact on curbing spam, and potential frauds given that many users unknowingly click on links that act as phishing tools for data hackers.
But it has also sparked concerns that consumers of banks, financial institutions, and e-commerce companies may face interruptions in receiving service and transactional messages and especially One Time Passwords (OTPs).
At present, the telcos get the headers and the templates from the businesses. However, now they will also require the content to be submitted. This will then be verified by the telcos and only then will be sent to the customers.
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The JCOR is a key inter-ministerial body set up in 2022 to examine regulatory implications in the digital age and put up a collective front against telecom spam and fraud.
Tuesday's meeting was attended by representatives from the RBI, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority and Securities and Exchange Board of India. Officials from the ministries of home affairs, corporate affairs, electronics and information technology, and the department of telecommunications were also present, TRAI said in a statement.
Bulk connection ban
The meeting also saw TRAI urge regulators to implement its other direction on migrating existing telemarketers making promotional calls to numbers in the 140 series, which have been allocated for all commercial purposes. TRAI has mandated these numbers to also be migrated to the Digital Ledger Technology (DLT) platforms run by telecom service providers by September 30 for better monitoring and control.
On the other hand, the 160 series has been allocated exclusively for service and transactional calls, it said.
The telecom regulator also discussed its directions to telecom operators to strictly monitor and disconnect bulk connections owned by businesses if they engage in spam calls.
"There is an urgent need to take firm action, without further delay, on spammers who are using PRI/ SIP/ bulk connections for making promotional voice calls, robo calls, pre-recorded calls," TRAI said.
SIP and PRI are two methods used by businesses to connect to a regional telephone network. PRI is a telecommunication standard that carries voice and data transmissions between a network and a user. It uses physical copper wires to digitally connect businesses with the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
On the other hand, SIP connects IP PBX, a telecommunication device that provides voice connectivity to desk phones within a building, to the internet, thereby allowing businesses to make and receive calls over the Internet.
Telcos have also been asked to ensure that they enable a system to ensure the traceability of the message flow by October 31.