Growing Nuisance

Spam calls have become a growing nuisance in the lives of individuals worldwide, and their impact extends beyond simple annoyance. In Kashmir valley, as in many other regions, spam calls can lead to a host of problems, including time-wasting, financial loss, emotional distress and privacy invasion. One of the most immediate and noticeable effects of spam calls is the significant disruption they cause to daily life. These unsolicited calls often interrupt important activities, leading to frustration and wasted time. In addition to being a nuisance, spam calls can have severe financial consequences. Scammers often use these calls to deceive individuals into providing sensitive personal information, such as bank account numbers or credit card details. In Kashmir valley, several cases of online fraud have emerged where victims were tricked into making fraudulent payments or disclosing confidential data to scammers posing as legitimate entities. These scams can lead to substantial financial losses for unsuspecting individuals. To combat this growing threat, law enforcement agencies in the region have issued frequent alerts to warn the public about the dangers of online fraud and spam calls, urging people to remain vigilant. The persistent nature of spam calls can also take a toll on an individual’s emotional well-being. Receiving repeated unwanted calls, especially from aggressive telemarketers or scammers, can induce feelings of anxiety, stress and vulnerability. Recognizing the detrimental impact of spam calls, TRAI has now taken a strong stance against unregistered telemarketers and their misuse of telecom resources. Under the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) of 2018, TRAI has mandated all Access Service Providers to stop voice promotional calls from all Unregistered Senders or Telemarketers (UTMs) using SIP/PRI or other telecom resources. This measure is expected to significantly reduce the number of spam calls, thereby providing relief to consumers across the country. TRAI has issued several directives to Access Service Providers to ensure compliance with the new regulations. Among these directives are the immediate cessation of promotional voice calls from unregistered senders, disconnection of telecom resources for violators for up to two years, and the blacklisting of offenders. Information regarding blacklisted senders will be shared with all Access Providers on a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform to ensure that no new telecom resources are allocated to the violators during the period of blacklisting. Furthermore, all unregistered telemarketers using SIP/PRI resources must be migrated to the DLT platform within one month, ensuring tighter control over their operations. The Access Service Providers have been instructed to submit regular updates on the actions taken to TRAI, on the 1st and 16th of each month. This oversight is expected to keep the crackdown on spam calls consistent and effective. By enforcing these regulations, TRAI aims to uphold consumer rights and protect individuals from the growing menace of unsolicited and fraudulent calls.  It is hoped that these efforts will be implemented effectively, providing much-needed relief to individuals affected by this persistent issue, and helping to build trust in the use of telecommunication services.