TRAI Tightens Spam Regulations, Introduces Heavy Penalties

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced revisions to spam regulations, requiring service providers to monitor call and SMS patterns in real time to identify and flag spammers.

Non-compliance can result in fines of Rs 2 lakh for the first violation, Rs 5 lakh for the second, and Rs 10 lakh for repeat offenses if spam volumes are misreported.

While the amendments encourage the use of artificial intelligence to curb spam, its implementation remains optional.

These changes to the Telecom Commercial Communications Consumer Preference Regulations, 2018, aim to tackle nuisance calls and messages from unregistered telemarketers and fraudsters.

In August, TRAI had sought public input through a consultation paper on strategies to detect spam and prevent its spread across telecom networks.