Spam calls in India are set to face tighter checks as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has changed its rules for commercial communications. The updated framework gives telecom operators a bigger role in spotting suspected spam numbers, including through AI- and machine-learning-based systems. It also brings robocalls and other automated calls under specific rules and allows action to begin in some cases with fewer consumer complaints when AI flagging is involved. At the same time, businesses will have to follow new requirements when making automated calls or contacting customers after an inquiry. Consumers will also get a formal way to appeal against the outcome of spam complaints. Here’s everything that has been changed under new TRAI rules.
According to the new TRAI rules, telecom operators will now look for customer-line numbers that appear likely to be involved in unsolicited commercial communications. Reports also claim that the details of the suspected numbers can be shared between operators to help identify activity across networks.
If five or more numbers linked to a sender are flagged within 10 days, then the operator can start a detailed investigation. Depending on the findings during the investigation, the sender could face KYC re-verification, physical verification, restrictions on outgoing services or disconnection depending on the severity of the case.
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The new rules from TRAI are also applicable to Application-to-Person (A2P) calls, which are calls made using software, apps, or automated systems instead of a person dialling the number directly.
Under the new guidelines, businesses that make A2P calls have to inform their telecom provider beforehand and register the numbers they will use. If a call is made without this declaration, it will be treated as Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC), and appropriate action will be taken against it.
Companies can now charge up to 5 paise per minute for A2P calls. However, some approved commercial calls and calls authorised by the Authority will not be charged.
TRAI has also reduced the threshold for some complaint-based action as the enforcement can now begin with three unique complaints within 10 days when the sender’s number is also flagged by the telecom operator’s AI or machine-learning system instead of the usual five-number threshold.
Consumers can also appeal against the resolution of their UCC complaints within 15 days through channels such as the TRAI DND App, telecom operators’ apps or portals, and calls or SMS to 1909.
Commercial communication based on a customer’s inquiry will be allowed for seven days from the date of the inquiry. The inquiry must be made digitally or in writing and retained in a verifiable form.
TRAI has also tightened rules around the misuse of headers and content templates. Misused headers or templates must be suspended within six hours after the operator becomes aware of the issue.
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Call-management apps are not allowed to automatically block or spam-tag calls from designated commercial number series such as 140xx, 1600xx and 1601xx. However, consumers can still block or filter individual calls on their devices based on their preferences.