Spammers Shift to OTT Platforms Amid Tightened Telco Scrutiny, Says COAI: Report

With telecom operators tightening measures against spam and fraudulent communications, spammers are increasingly shifting to over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as Meta-owned WhatsApp, according to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). TelecomTalk previously reported on UCC and spam silently shifting to RCS and OTT platforms, with not many options available to customers.

• Make Telecom Talk My Trusted Source
• 
• 

Spam/UCC: Spam, UCC Messages Find Their Way to Users Through RCS and OTT Apps?

Spam Shifting to OTT Platforms

“Telecom service providers (TSP) networks have become very stringent and are not permitting spam due to government and their own measures. OTT players, on the contrary, are doing nothing,” said SP Kochhar, Director General of COAI, which represents Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, to ETTelecom.

COAI and GSMA Call for Regulatory Parity

The industry body, along with the global mobile association GSMA, has been pushing for OTT players to be brought under a regulatory framework, citing the growing misuse of such platforms for digital fraud, including banking scams and so-called ‘digital arrests’ facilitated through screen-sharing features.

Studies suggest that nearly 85 percent of the data over the telecommunications network is being used for multiple OTT applications. Yet, these platforms remain outside the purview of current telecom regulations, according to the report.

Also Read: COAI Seeks Cybersecurity Parity Between Telcos and OTT Platforms: Report

Airtel AI-Powered Spam Detection Tool

Airtel recently launched an AI-based spam detection tool that alerts users about potential scam calls. Citing Bharti Airtel’s instance, he reportedly said that the telco, which has come out with an AI-based app, has been received very well, and added that Airtel would probably come out with a better version soon.