New Delhi: From May 1, 2023, consumers in India who are tired of receiving unwanted calls and messages from unknown numbers heaved a sigh of relief. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is implementing new regulations aimed at combating these unwanted communications.
Under the new rules, all telecom companies in India will be required to utilize AI spam filters in their call and SMS services. This significant move by TRAI is aimed at safeguarding consumers from fraudulent and harassing activities.
Media reports suggest that TRAI’s recently released regulations mandate Indian telecom companies, including Airtel, Jio, Vodafone Idea and BSNL, to employ artificial intelligence (AI) spam filters in their call and SMS services. The filters will be designed to identify and block fake and promotional calls and messages from various sources, which are commonly used by scammers to defraud customers of their money. The objective is to tackle the rising number of spam messages and calls that cause annoyance and inconvenience to customers.
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are among the major telecom companies that have agreed to comply with the mandate and implement AI filter services. Airtel has already confirmed this in an official statement, while Jio is expected to launch the service soon.
To further address the problem of fake calls and messages, TRAI has directed telecom companies to cease sending promotional calls to 10-digit mobile numbers, which are commonly exploited by spammers and scammers. The government has also urged Telcos to incorporate a Call ID feature that displays the caller’s name and photo on the mobile phone screen, enabling customers to identify the caller.
It has been reported that some telecom companies, including Airtel and Jio, are hesitant to adopt the AI spam filter technology due to privacy concerns. However, there is no clear information available regarding this announcement. The implementation of the AI filter technology to combat spam commenced on May 1 as planned.
Industry body COAI had argued earlier this year that the implementation of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) should not be mandatory but kept optional for telecom operators. They filed a technical, privacy and regulatory filing with regulator TRAI citing cost concerns.
This new move is expected to prevent fraud on telecom networks by blocking spam calls and SMS. The AI-based filters will help stop fake calls and messages from banking or other marketing companies on any user’s number. With the implementation of new filters, people can expect a reduction in spam calls and messages in the future.
