Internet apps providing Internet telephony (VoIP) services and Instant Messaging pose a threat for customer privacy and national security, the Indian telecom regulator TRAI (pdf) has said in a pre-consultation paper. The TRAI suggests a need for a detailed regulatory framework for VoIP and messaging apps to ensure better privacy and security: “The absence of a detailed regulatory framework governing OTT (online) communication services can have a number of implications, including for telephone number management, public safety, emergency number access and national security. While the open architecture of the Internet is responsible for the phenomenal growth of OTT services, it also causes the transfer of personal information on the Internet to be fraught with potential risks and scope for misuse. Besides security challenges at the national level, OTT (Internet) communications and OTT (Internet) media can also pose a threat to the privacy of…
