Many principal entities are not yet done with verifying their headers and content templates as directed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in February 2023, according to a press release. It warned that a delay in compliance by these entities may result in the blocking of their headers, content templates, and messages. The regulator pointed out that the lack of compliance leaves such templates vulnerable to misuse, thereby exposing the public to spam and financial fraud. It added that it will review the progress in the next two weeks and issue necessary directions. Understanding a principal entity: It includes the following categories— banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, trading companies, and business entities— which send commercial messages to telecom subscribers through SMS. Why it matters: It is important to note this development as it highlights the challenges faced by TRAI in curbing spam once again. The call to block messages from unverified telemarketers was touted to be a useful measure as it would ensure promotional messages came only from registered telemarketers in approved templates. It is no secret that spam has been a nuisance, so it is critical to ensure compliance and filter out telemarketers indulging in misuse. Overview on TRAI’s directions: A new set of directions issued in the first week of May called for access service providers to designate an authority to approve commercial message templates. It also announced that only whitelisted URLs/Apks/OTT links/callback numbers would be allowed in commercial messages. The instructions issued in February instructed all telcos to block unverified…
