Bharti Airtel's Vice-Chairman and MD, Gopal Vittal, has urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to bring over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms under regulatory control to curb the rising spam menace. In a letter to TRAI, Vittal outlined key measures that could help reduce fraud, spam messages, and phishing attacks on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
Airtel’s 3-step plan to curb OTT spam
Vittal proposed three immediate steps for TRAI to regulate spam on OTT platforms:
- Extend the Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) framework – Ensuring users can manage their consent across telecom and digital platforms.
- Implement KYC verification for OTTs – Just like mobile numbers require KYC, OTTs should also have identity verification for better accountability.
- Expand the centralized blacklist system – A blacklist mechanism on OTT platforms to prevent repeat spammers from exploiting the system.
Fraudsters exploiting loopholes in OTT communication
While TRAI’s strict regulations have significantly reduced spam via SMS and voice calls, cybercriminals have now shifted their operations to OTT messaging platforms, which currently remain outside TRAI’s jurisdiction. Vittal warned that this loophole exposes consumers to phishing attacks, financial fraud, and privacy risks.
Airtel’s AI-powered anti-spam system shows success
Airtel has already launched an AI-driven anti-spam tool that has:
- Alerted 252 million unique customers about spam calls and messages.
- Identified 1 million spammers daily, making over 130 million spam calls per day.
- Processed a staggering trillion records per day to detect fraudulent activities.
Airtel pushes for global standards against Caller ID spoofing
Vittal has also urged TRAI to introduce strict penalties and compliance frameworks for telemarketers and businesses. He called for global standards to tackle caller ID spoofing, a method fraudsters use to manipulate numbers and deceive users.
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