Secure Texting: TRAI Introduces New Guidelines to Track Commercial Message Senders

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has implemented various measures to ensure the secure transmission of text messages, including provisions for the comprehensive tracing of senders of commercial communications.
To enhance message traceability, TRAI issued a direction on August 20 and mandated that all commercial messages from senders to recipients must be traceable from November 1.
In compliance of these directions, all Access Providers have since deployed the required technical solutions.
However, to provide a transition time for technical upgrades, and chain declaration by senders of commercial messages — Principal Entities (PEs) and Telemarketers (TMs), TRAI, vide its Direction dated October 28, extended the deadline up to November 30.
For awareness, communications were sent to various Sector Regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA and IRDAI), Central and State government Departments and other organizations by TRAI requesting them to sensitize the PEs under their jurisdiction for early compliance with the regulations.
In addition, webinars were arranged by TRAI in association with the Access Providers which were attended by representatives of entities such as PEs, TMs, Central and State Government departments, Sector Regulators and Industry associations.
For direct engagement with PE and TMs, additional webinars, email communications and interactive sessions were arranged by the Access providers.
As a result of these efforts, more than twenty-seven thousand PEs have already registered their chains with the respective Access Providers and further registration is in progress at a rapid pace.
Access Providers have sent and are continuing to send warning notices to all PEs and TMs who have not yet implemented necessary changes.
The authority has directed Access Providers to ensure PE-TM chain declaration by all PEs and TMs latest by December 10, and continue issuing the warning to the PEs and TMs who default on PE-TM chain binding on daily basis.
With effect from December 11, any traffic (messages) where the chain of Telemarketers is not defined or does not match with pre-defined chain shall be rejected.
PEs and TMs are again advised to expedite the declaration of chains on priority as any message that fails to adhere to the traceability regulation will be rejected with effect from December 11.