Ensuring SMS Traceability for Secure Messaging: TRAI Initiative
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New Delhi, December 19 (NationPress) A comprehensive framework designed to guarantee the traceability of all commercial SMS has been successfully implemented, marking a vital advancement towards fostering a safer and spam-free messaging ecosystem, as stated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday.
According to this framework, all principal entities (PEs) including businesses, banks, and government institutions, along with their respective telemarketers (TMs), are mandated to declare and register their message transmission routes utilizing blockchain-based Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).
This process of chain declaration and binding guarantees end-to-end traceability of each message, from its origin to delivery, without compromising data security or causing delays in SMS transmission, TRAI highlighted.
To implement this initiative, TRAI issued a directive on August 20, 2024, mandating the traceability of all commercial messages, effective from November 1, 2024.
Considering the extensive scope of activities required for implementation, TRAI extended compliance deadlines initially to November 30 and subsequently to December 10, facilitating the smooth onboarding of approximately 1.13 lakh active PEs across various sectors such as banking, insurance, healthcare, and real estate.
TRAI adopted a collaborative strategy by involving key sectoral regulators like RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, and governmental bodies such as NIC, CDAC, along with state governments to enhance awareness and expedite the declaration and binding process.
Additionally, access providers played an essential role in assisting PEs and TMs through targeted outreach initiatives and technical support for seamless integration into the DLT framework.
To minimize disruptions, TRAI introduced an innovative implementation approach during the initial enforcement phase. While the chain binding regulations were technically in effect, messages sent through undeclared paths were temporarily permitted but flagged with error codes.
These error codes were communicated to the relevant PEs, enabling them to take corrective measures without hampering critical messages such as OTPs or other time-sensitive communications. This consumer-focused strategy ensured uninterrupted messaging services while adhering to regulatory standards.
Thanks to these coordinated efforts spearheaded by TRAI, all major PEs have now successfully registered their message transmission chains with Access Providers.
Effective December 11, SMS traffic transmitted through unregistered paths is being rejected, signifying the completion of this extensive initiative.
This traceability effort complements additional anti-spam measures introduced by TRAI, including the disconnection of all telecom resources utilized by spammers, URL whitelisting in SMS, and the migration of 140-series telemarketers to DLT platforms.
