No OTPs From December 1 For Vodafone Idea, Airtel, Jio Users? See TRAI Circular

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the deadline for implementing a traceable record of commercial messages, including One Time Passwords (OTPs), from November 1 to December 1, 2024. The extension comes in because the businesses are not prepared yet technologically to accommodate the change.

What Did TRAI Say In Its Circular?

"To enhance message traceability, TRAI has mandated that the trail of all messages from senders to recipients must be traceable from November 1, 2024. Any message with an undefined or mismatched telemarketer chain will
be rejected," said TRAI in a circular. When implemented telecom operators will have to send daily updates to telemarketers and principal entities so that necessary adjustments can be made before the enforcement date.

What If There Is Faulty Compliance?

"TRAI has introduced punitive measures for non-compliance. Content Templates registered under the wrong category will be blacklisted, and repeated offenses will lead to a one-month suspension of the Sender's services." TRAI said. All telemarketers and principal entities have to be reported to TRAI by November 30th. If any message comes on or after December 1s,t 2024, then it will be rejected by the system, the report said. TRAI says these measures are needed to ensure a clean and secure messaging ecosystem, safeguarding human interests and preventing fraudulent activities.