Starting September 1, customers across India might face disruptions in receiving essential service and transaction messages from banks, financial institutions, and e-commerce platforms on their mobile phones. This stems from a new directive by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), aimed at curbing spam and phishing attempts.
TRAI’s Crackdown on Unverified Messages
TRAI has mandated that telecom operators block any messages containing URLs, OTT links, APKs (Android Application Packages), or callback numbers unless they have been properly whitelisted and registered with the telecom operators. This order compels banks, financial institutions, and online platforms to register their message templates and content with telecom operators by August 31. Failure to comply will result in the blocking of messages containing the specified elements.
A Major Shift in Message Scrutiny
Currently, entities register only their headers and templates with telecom operators, leaving the content of the messages unchecked. However, from September 1, telecom companies will be required to scrutinize the content of commercial messages and block those that do not match the registered records. This move is significant, given that around 1.5 to 1.7 billion commercial messages are sent daily in India, amounting to nearly 55 billion each month.
Telecom Operators Seek More Time
According to a report by Economic Times, major telecom players like Jio, Airtel, and Vi are requesting a deadline extension from TRAI, arguing that the blockchain-based Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform needs updates to accommodate the new requirements. However, officials indicate that TRAI is firm on the deadline, believing the industry has had sufficient time to prepare.
Understanding Whitelisting and Its Impact
Whitelisting requires entities to submit all relevant information, such as URLs and callback numbers, to telecom companies, which then feed this data into their DLT platform. If the information matches, the message is transmitted; if not, it is blocked. For example, if a bank fails to whitelist a callback number included in transaction alerts, those messages will no longer be delivered.
A telecom industry official explained, “Only those entities, including banks, that whitelist the URLs and content of their messages with telecom companies will have their messages forwarded; the rest will be blocked.”
As the deadline approaches, businesses and customers alike must brace for potential disruptions in service communications if these requirements are not met in time.
