The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to go a little easy on select entities for implementing its new SMS norms. For the unaware, the new norms direct business entities to register their message templates and their content (URLs, APK links, and OTT links) with the telcos before sending them to the customers. The rule has come into effect from October 1, 2024. Any entity which hasn't whitelisted its content with the telcos will not be able to send SMS to the customers.
Read More - TRAI Mandate to Only Send Whitelisted Content on SMS Comes to Effect on Oct 1
But this had put many legit companies in a very nervous place. TRAI has told select entities, particularly banks, that the dynamic parts of the URLs in commercial messages need not be whitelisted. The only need here is to verify the text's static portion, said an ET report. Banks were worried about their SMSes not going to the customers. This would put not only banks but also the customers in a difficult spot.
Many entities have already whitelisted their content. But there are still many that are yet to do it. So there will be some disruptions. However, TRAI had given plenty of time to these entities to whitelist their content. This is a necessary step with respect to consumer safety in India. Cyberfraud is a serious issue in India and all of it starts from a simple phone call or an SMS with a malicious link.
Read More - TRAI Believes VNOs Should Partner with Multiple Telcos
Bharti Airtel also recently came up with its new solution where it has implemented an anti-spam AI layer on its network. Now the network itself will identify whether a call coming in is through a suspected number or if it is safe. Alternatively, users can leverage the capabilities of Truecaller to help themselves stay protected from spam calls.
