TRAI directs Access Providers to stop misuse of Headers & Message Templates

TRAI issues Directions to Access Providers to stop misuse of Headers and Message Templates, and to curb unauthorized promotions using telecom resources under TCCCPR-2018

To curb messages from unauthorized or unregistered telemarketers, including telemarketers using telephone numbers, Access providers have been directed to bar all Telemarketers, who are not registered on Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) platform.

Applicability:

This circular is applicable to all the Telecom Service Providers/principal entities.

 The major points need to be taken into consideration by our tele calling agencies partners in this regard:

1. Reverify all registered Headers & Message Templates on DLT platform and block all unverified Headers and Message Templates within 30 and 60 days respectively.

2. Ensure that temporary Headers are deactivated immediately after the time duration for which such headers were created.

3. Ensure that content variables in Message Template do not have flexibility to insert undesired contents. Entities involved in message transmission should be clearly identifiable and tracked, if required.

4. Ensure that promotional messages are not transmitted by Unregistered Telemarketers or Telemarketers using telephone numbers (10 digits numbers).

Time Period and Consequences:

All the Telecom Service Providers have been directed to comply with the above directions within 30 days, fails to do the same, action will be taken against all such erring Telemarketers as per the provisions of the regulations and also actions will be initiated as per relevant legal laws.

Information note to the Press (Press Release No.12 /2023)

For Immediate Release

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

TRAI issues Directions to Access Providers to stop misuse of Headers and Message Templates, and to curb unauthorized promotions using telecom resources under TCCCPR-2018.

New Delhi, 16th February 2023 – In order to ensure that all promotional messages are sent through Registered Telemarketers (RTMs) using approved Headers and Message Templates on Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) platform, and also to stop misuse of Headers and Message Templates, TRAI has issued two separate Directions to Access Service Providers under Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (TCCCPR-2018), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act 1997 (24 of 1997).

2. TRAI has observed that Headers and Message Templates of Principal Entities (PEs) are being misused by some Telemarketers. To stop the same, Access Service Providers have been directed to;

a) reverify all registered Headers & Message Templates on DLT platform and block all unverified Headers and Message Templates within 30 and 60 days respectively.

b) ensure that temporary Headers are deactivated immediately after the time duration for which such headers were created.

c) ensure that content variables in Message Template do not have flexibility to insert undesired contents. Entities involved in message transmission should be clearly identifiable and tracked, if required.

d) remove confusions among recipients of message and prevent their misuse, no Look-alike headers (Headers which are similar by virtue of combination of small case or large case letters) are to be registered by Access Providers in names of different Principal Entities.

3. To curb messages from unauthorised or unregistered telemarketers, including telemarketers using telephone numbers, Access providers have been directed to-

• bar all Telemarketers, who are not registered on Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) platform from handling the message template scrubbing and delivery of messages to recipients through Access Providers’ network;
• ensure that promotional messages are not transmitted by Unregistered Telemarketers or Telemarketers using telephone numbers (10 digits numbers);
• take action against all such erring Telemarketers as per the provisions of the regulations and also initiate actions as per relevant legal laws. The Access Service Provider shall also notify details of such Telemarketers to other Access Providers, who shall, in turn, bar these entities from sending any kind of commercial communications through their networks;

4. All the Telecom Service Providers have been directed to comply with the above directions within thirty days.

5. For any clarification/information Shri Jaipal Singh Tomar, Advisor (QoS) TRAI may be contacted at Tel. No. 011-23230404.

(V. R hunandan)

Secretary, TRAI