The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has made it mandatory for the telcos to only allow whitelisted content to be sent via SMS to customers. This rule was announced by the regulatory body on August 20, 2024. The rule instructs all access service providers to block any SMS traffic that contains APKs, URLs, or OTT links that have not already been whitelisted. This direction is all set to come into effect from October 1, 2024. The rule should have come into effect on September 1, however, the telcos and the enterprises requested more time.
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The move is aimed at reducing spam and malicious communication to mobile consumers in India. The regulatory body has become pretty strict about spam communications and is also asking the telcos to improve the quality of services. Much recently, Bharti Airtel said that it is implementing a spam-detection AI tool on its network layer that will alert users about any fraud or spam calls/messages that they receive.
TRAI said, "So far, over 3,000 registered senders have complied with this requirement by whitelisting more than 70,000 links. Senders who fail to whitelist their links by the due date will not be able to transmit any messages containing URL/APK/ OTT links."
Only a few days are left before October 1 arrives. The telecom operators will have no choice but to block any communication to the consumers that isn't whitelisted.
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"This initiative by TRAI is designed to safeguard consumers from unsolicited messages containing malicious links while fostering a transparent and secure communication system. By complying with these new rules, both Access Providers and registered senders can help in creating a more reliable and safe messaging environment," the regulatory body said.
