New Delhi. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has overhauled its anti‑spam framework, imposing tougher rules on commercial telemarketing and bulk messaging.
Under the new regulations, every telecom service provider is obliged to install artificial‑intelligence and machine‑learning based screening tools that can spot abnormal calling or messaging patterns and flag potential spam.
Five Numbers in Ten Days Can Trigger Disconnection
If five or more numbers linked to the same spammer are identified within a ten‑day window, the provider may be ordered to cut the connection. The offending entity can also be placed on a blacklist for up to one year, following the prescribed procedural safeguards.
TRAI additionally levies a fee of 5 paise per minute on automated calls, creating a financial deterrent for mass‑scale robocalling operations.
Misuse of Business Numbers and Message Templates
Operators must also act when a registered business number or a pre‑approved message template is abused. If a telemarketer is traced as the source, the sanction can extend to all other numbers associated with that marketer, potentially resulting in blacklisting.
Consumers dissatisfied with a complaint outcome have 15 days to appeal. Appeals can be lodged via the DND app, the operator’s own app or portal, or by dialing 1909.
Mandatory Disclosure for Automated Calls
The revised rules cover all automated dialing systems, including auto‑dialers, robocalls and calls that use pre‑recorded or AI‑generated voices. Such calls must disclose their automated nature to the recipient before the conversation begins.
TRAI also clarified that call‑blocking apps cannot blanket‑block entire commercial series such as 1600 and 1601 merely because they belong to a particular number range.
The fresh measures aim to bolster surveillance of commercial communications while equipping operators with advanced tools to detect and curb suspected spam activity.