TRAI cracks unauthorised telemarketers; directs cos to stop headers misuse

Telecom regulator TRAI on Thursday cracked down on unauthorised, pesky promotional messages by telemarketers as it issued directions to telecom operators to act swiftly to stop the misuse of headers and message templates.

To stop the misuse, the regulator has directed access service providers (telecom operators) to reverify all registered headers and message templates on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform and block all unverified headers and message templates within 30 and 60 days respectively.

Telecom operators have also been asked to ensure that temporary headers are deactivated immediately after the set time duration.

"... Remove confusions among recipients of message and prevent their misuse, no look-alike headers (headers which are similar by virtue of combination of small case or large case letters) are to be registered by access providers in names of different Principal Entities," TRAI said.

To curb messages from unauthorised or unregistered telemarketers, including telemarketers using telephone numbers, telecom operators have been directed to "bar all telemarketers, who are not registered on DLT platform from handling the message template scrubbing and delivery of messages to recipients through Access Providers' network".

Telcos will have to "ensure that promotional messages are not transmitted by Unregistered Telemarketers or Telemarketers using telephone numbers (10 digits numbers)."

Telecom operators have been instructed to take action against all erring telemarketers as per stipulated regulations and also initiate actions as per relevant legal laws.

"The Access Service Provider shall also notify details of such Telemarketers to other Access Providers, who shall, in turn, bar these entities from sending any kind of commercial communications through their networks," TRAI said.

TRAI has asked all telecom service providers to comply with its directions within thirty days.