Strong Steps Taken by TRAI against Fraud and Cyber Issues in Telecoms Industry

To combat fraud and cyber threats in telecom and protect consumers, TRAI mandates message traceability to secure smartphones and services.

The fraud and cyber-crime risks have become aggrandized simultaneously as smartphones and usage of the internet increased. This has typically forced the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to come up with various ways of protecting consumers and ensuring safety in telecom provision.

TRAI mandated message traceability to combat fraud in commercial messages and OTPs. Originally set for telecom implementation by October 31, heavyweights like Jio, Airtel, VI, and BSNL pushed the date to November 31. Message traceability will enhance fraud detection and tracking, addressing the widespread abuse of these forms of messages for fraudulent activities.

Primarily introduced these measures are likely to have OTP delay times, which would thwart users from doing online banking or booking activities. Still, eventually, it will strengthen cyber security and especially address the misuse of OTPs, many of which become ingredients in scams that lead to unauthorized access to smartphones and financial accounts.

Other areas that the government is putting forth new policies about concern speedy developments in the infrastructure for 5G. Through this, from January 1, 2025, the existing telecom companies will also be required to conform to a new Telecom Act that will institutionalize infrastructure costs across the country in order to improve the telecommunications environment and the reach offered by those services.

Thus, all these combined efforts from TRAI place the organization well on its way to having a safe digital environment for telecom users.