Bharti Airtel has urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to bring over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram under regulatory framework to curb increasing spam and financial fraud.
Also Read: Spam, UCC Messages Find Their Way to Users Through RCS and OTT Apps?
Airtel's Push for OTT Regulation
In a letter to TRAI, Airtel's Vice-Chairman and MD, Gopal Vittal, proposed extending the digital consent acquisition (DCA) framework to OTT platforms, enforcing Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, and integrating them into a centralised spam blacklist, Moneycontrol reported.
"While regulatory efforts have significantly reduced spam and unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) over SMS and voice, fraudsters are increasingly shifting to OTT communication platforms, which currently operate with minimal oversight," Vittal wrote, according to the report.
TRAI's Latest Spam-Control Measures
Private telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, have opposed TRAI's latest spam-control measures, arguing they overlook critical concerns—particularly the exclusion of OTT platforms from regulation.
According to the report, telecom firms claim the rise in spam calls and messages through OTT platforms has led to a rise in financial fraud. During TRAI's open house consultation, stakeholders urged for regulatory oversight on OTT communication services, warning that fraudsters exploit the regulatory gap, heightening risks of phishing, fraud, and security breaches.
Also Read: Menace of Promotional Calls and SMS: Mobile Number Not Required to Avail Services from Retailers
In a statement on February 17, telecom operators reportedly criticised the sharp increase in penalties for non-compliance, arguing that telemarketers, not telecom providers, are primarily responsible for most unsolicited commercial messages and should be held accountable.
Under the revised framework, telecom companies face fines starting at Rs 2 lakh for the first violation, rising to Rs 5 lakh for a second offence and Rs 10 lakh for subsequent breaches. Repeated non-compliance could even lead to service suspensions.
TRAI’s Response
Meanwhile, TRAI officials clarified that OTT platforms fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which has been informed of these concerns.
Also Read: Airtel Launches AI-Powered Network Solution for Spam Detection
KYC, DCA Framework, and Global Standards
As per the report, Vittal reiterated that extending the DCA framework to digital communication platforms would help users manage consent for promotional messages. He also advocated the need for KYC verification on OTT platforms to enhance user accountability and traceability. Additionally, Airtel urged TRAI to push for global standards to combat calling line identification (CLI) spoofing, a common tactic in telecom fraud.
To further enhance consumer protection, Vittal called for a comprehensive regulatory framework that includes licensing requirements and strict penalties for principal entities (PEs) and telemarketers (TMs), stressing that telecom service providers merely act as intermediaries while PEs and TMs generate the actual content, the report said.
