War on spam call menace stalls on who takes blame

Blocking an unknown number or reporting a suspicious text message may feel like a small win against the spam menace.

- Jatin Grover

But behind every promotional call or unwanted message is a tangled ecosystem—a web of companies, some complex rules and a growing debate on who should be held accountable.

The department of telecommunications (DoT) is looking to strengthen regulations by introducing formal licensing system for telemarketers, the intermediaries who send commercial messages on behalf of brands.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), however, is proceeding cautiously, considering whether placing these service providers under an official authorization system would genuinely help to control the menace, according to four individuals familiar with the discussions.

“Trai will do whatever is the right thing, and discussions are going on,” chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said in response to Mint’s queries.

“An important thing to note is that you cannot control spam from telemarketers unless the telecom service providers (TSPs) play the pivotal role,” Lahoti said, adding that the first point of contact for the consumer for complaints is operators, and that action has to be instantaneous.

Queries emailed to DoT and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Monday did not elicit any response.

Telemarketers are the middlemen hired by brands— banks, shopping sites, FMCG giants—to blast out promotional calls and messages on a regular basis. Some are registered and regulated, while others fly under the radar, sending spam unchecked.