TRAI Tells Telecom Companies to Make Apps Better for Reporting Spam Calls
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has directed telecom companies to enhance their mobile apps and websites. This will make it easier for users to report Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) or spam calls and manage their preferences.
TRAI stated, “In its ongoing effort to mitigate the issue of UCC, commonly referred to as spam, TRAI has mandated Access Providers to enhance their Mobile Apps and Web portals to make them more user-friendly for registration of UCC complaints and settings of preference.”
Telecom companies must ensure that options for UCC complaint registration and preference management are easily accessible. Essential details for complaint registration should be automatically filled in if users allow access to their call logs and other relevant data.
TRAI has also changed the Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) formats. Now, telecom companies must submit PMRs monthly instead of quarterly for more detailed monitoring.
Earlier, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, asked for public comments on Draft Guidelines for the Prevention and Regulation of Unsolicited and Unwarranted Business Communication. These guidelines are available on the Department’s website, and feedback is due by July 21, 2024.
The draft guidelines were created after discussions with various stakeholders, including telecom operators and regulators. Despite existing TRAI regulations, misleading and deceptive calls and messages remain a problem for mobile users.
