Your OTPs will not stop coming from Nov 1; TRAI extends deadline

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the deadline from November 1 to December 1 for telecom operators to implement a traceability mandate for messages from commercial entities, including one-time passwords (OTPs).

Messages not conforming to the traceability mandate will be blocked from December 1. This is the second time the deadline has been extended.

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This move by TRAI is aimed at fighting phishing activities and spam.

Concerns raised by telecom operators

India’s telecom operators had expressed their concerns to TRAI that many businesses, including banks, may not be prepared for the new mandate.

In view of the concerns raised by Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone-Idea, TRAI has now agreed to a gradual implementation process. Till November 30, telecom operators will issue daily warnings to entities that fail to comply with the requirements of chain declaration.

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From December 1, non-compliant entities will be blocked.

The telecom authority’s efforts to enhance security include disconnecting mobile numbers, migrating telemarketing calls to a blockchain-based platform for stricter monitoring, and blacklisting entities that do not comply with regulations.