TRAI refutes claims of OTP delays starting December 1: What you need to know

HIGHLIGHTS

TRAI denies claims of OTP delays, reassuring the public that no disruptions will occur starting December 1.

New message traceability guidelines aim to curb spam without affecting OTP delivery or transaction speed.

TRAI's mandate for message traceability has already been implemented by telecom operators to enhance security.

TRAI refutes claims of OTP delays starting December 1: What you need to know

You must have heard that beginning December 1, users will receive one-time passwords (OTPs) for services such as Aadhaar and net banking. According to the reports, the delays were caused by new Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regulations that mandated telecom operators to trace all messages, resulting in delays in critical transactions. 

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However, TRAI has refuted such claims stating that it is factually incorrect. Taking to X, TRAI said the new traceability guidelines will not result in the delay of the OTPs. It further stated that the telecom operator would continue to provide uninterrupted service for essential services like OTPs while enhancing security measures. 

“This is factually incorrect. TRAI has mandated the Access Providers to ensure message traceability. It will not delay delivery of any message,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) wrote on X.

TRAI also stated new regulations, which ask telecom operators to implement systems for tracking the origin of bulk messages and aim to curb spam and fraud messages. The mandate is also extended to November 30 to allow the telecom operators to upgrade their systems and ensure a smooth transition without disrupting essential services.

Not only that, TRAI has also confirmed that an extended timeline would not affect the speed or reliability of OTP-based transactions. In the clarification, TRAI also stated that the telecom operators were well-prepared and had already deployed the necessary infrastructure to comply with the guidelines and there would be no interruptions in the critical services. 

Previously, TRAI also introduced penalties for unauthorized promotional calls, which included disconnections and blacklisting offenders for up to two years. As per TRAI, such steps have already shown positive results with complaints about spam calls being reduced by 20 per cent between August and October 2024. 

Ashish Singh

Ashish Singh

Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile

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