TRAI Mandates Telecom Operators to Stop Sending Messages With APKs and Links Starting September 1

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has mandated that all telecom operators ensure the traceability of message trails from senders to recipients. This directive aims to enhance transparency and combat fraudulent messaging starting next month.

Starting September 1, major telecom operators of the country -- Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea will be barred from transmitting messages from un-registered senders that include URLs, APKs, OTT links, and other non-whitelisted call-back numbers. "Effective from September 1, 2024, all access service providers will be prohibited from transmitting messages containing URLs, APKs, OTT links, or call back numbers which are not whitelisted by the senders," TRAI stated.

This measure is intended to curb the spread of fraudulent messages. Fraudsters often use such links to direct customers to malicious websites and steal their sensitive information for scams. By restricting these types of messages, TRAI aims to protect consumers from potential fraud.

This doesn't mean spam messages will cease to exist, it just means, you might only get spam messages from registered users, and will also curb phishing attempts by frauds, as telcos will now keep track of all the messages shared on their network.

In addition to these measures, TRAI has introduced guidelines for content templates used in promotional messaging. "Content templates registered under the wrong category will be blacklisted, and repeated offences will lead to a one-month suspension of the sender's services," according to the new directive.