The government is considering regulating or issuing guidelines for over-the-top channels like WhatsApp to address the growing issue of pesky calls and messages. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is leading discussions on this matter, with Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), chairing a meeting on Wednesday to address the problem of unsolicited commercial calls used by enterprises to promote products and services.
During the meeting, participants extensively discussed the issue of spam calls, particularly the shift towards internet calls, notably through platforms like WhatsApp, aimed at misleading consumers. The DoCA announced plans to form a committee to draft guidelines for regulating and curbing pesky calls.
Representatives from the Department of Telecommunications, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), telecom industry body COAI, and major telecom companies including Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, and Bharti Airtel attended the meeting. In 2018, TRAI mandated all telcos to implement a blockchain-based system for onboarding enterprises that want to send commercial messages and calls. This measure aimed to ensure that telecom users only receive communication to which they have consented. Recently, WhatsApp’s Business channel has also begun sending marketing communication with options for recipients to opt-out.
