Spam Calls Messages: The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has extended the last date for giving comments on the draft guidelines related to control of spam such as promotional phone calls and SMS to August 8. The Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs said in a statement that the date has been extended in view of the requests received from various federations, associations and other stakeholders.
The ministry has said that TRAI’s 2018 rules, which provide for registration on ‘Do Not Disturb’ (DND) for registered telemarketing companies, have been effective. However, calls and messages from unregistered marketing companies using 10-digit private numbers continue to come.
The date for submitting comments on guidelines extended
Earlier the last date for submitting comments was July 21. The ministry said that various suggestions and comments have been received, which are still being considered. The new guidelines, which have been prepared in consultation with telecom service providers and regulators, do not include personal communication. It defines ‘business communication’ as any communication related to items such as promotions and service messages. These guidelines will apply to all persons and entities involved in business communication. According to the draft, any business communication that does not take into account the consent or registered preferences of the individual will be classified as spam.
Key rules in the new guidelines
According to the new guidelines, situations such as using unregistered numbers or SMS headers, calling despite choosing not to receive calls, not taking digital consent, not identifying the caller and purpose, and not giving the option to stop consent will come under unsolicited and spam business communication. Apart from this, there is also a provision to ban communications that violate the rules of business messages based on customer preferences.
Aim of the new guideline for consumer protection
The ministry has said that the 2018 rules of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which provide for registration on ‘Do Not Disturb’ (DND) for registered telemarketing companies, have been effective. However, calls and messages continue to come from unregistered marketing companies using 10-digit private numbers. The ministry clarified, “The government is committed to protecting consumer interests and rights, especially in the fast-growing consumer sector. The draft guidelines aim to protect consumers from aggressive and unauthorized marketing.”
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