The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has extended the deadline by one month for telecom service providers to comply with the new guidelines on spam message filtering. Earlier, the stipulated date was September 1, now it is October 1 to control messages comprising URLs, APK files, and OTT links. This change of date is meant to deal with worries about how messaging services are misused and to make things safer for consumers.
What’s The New Directive?
TRAI’s revised rule now directs all licensed telecom service providers to establish a whitelist mechanism through which messages containing URLs, APK files, and OTT links can be sent. It is in place to filter out spam and phishing attempts by making sure that sources that are whitelisted may send URLs, APKs, and OTT links. The move to help cut down on the number of spam and fraudulent messages flooding the inboxes of users becomes crucial.
Why the Extension?
This extension given on Friday comes as a result of some feedback from the telecom operators and their need for more time to fully follow the new set of rules. The updated order from TRAI asks all the access providers to submit an updated status report within 15 days and a complete compliance report within 30 days about their compliance with the newly drafted rule, thereby giving more time to the operators for changes in their system.
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How Will It Affect Users?
Starting October 1, messages containing disallowed URLs, APKs, and OTT links will be blocked. This is supposed to reduce the possibility of users getting tricked or cheated TRAI believes that with increased strictness in rules and by ensuring that only scrutinized messages are sent, users will have a safer and more reliable messaging experience. Apart from the main regulation, TRAI has also imposed sanctions for non-compliance. The templates of promotion letters are required to be registered correctly, and any abuse will result in debarment. The services can be suspended for one month on the second violation. TRAI says actions would be taken only after due process of law is initiated against violators.
Early Given Deadline For Spam Message
Earlier also TRAI had set the deadline for telecom operators to halt all text messages containing unregistered URLs and APKs to combat widespread phishing attacks in the end of August. A URL is a web address or the unique location of a resource on the internet, while an APK is an executable file that includes all the necessary data to install and run an Android application.
