The telecom regulator TRAI has ordered service providers to develop a unified digital platform within two months in order to obtain, maintain, and revoke customers’ consent for promotional calls and messages.
In the initial phase, only subscribers will be able to initiate the process to register their consent for receiving promotional calls and text messages. Eventually, business entities will be able to contact customers to seek their consent to receive promotional messages, according to a statement released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Saturday.
“TRAI has now directed all access providers to develop and deploy the Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) facility in order to create a unified platform and process for digitally registering customers’ consent across all service providers and principal entities,” TRAI said.
There is currently no unified system for demonstrating customers’ consent to receive promotional messages.
“Considering the volume of labor involved, TRAI has allotted two months for all Access Providers to develop these facilities and then implement them in stages. This directive was issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in accordance with its Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2018,” TRAI said.
Under the current system, numerous principal entities, such as banks, other financial institutions, insurance companies, trading companies, business entities, real estate companies, etc., obtain and maintain consent.
In the absence of a unified digital platform, telecom operators cannot verify the veracity of assent.
“The DCA process shall have the capability to seek, maintain, and revoke customer consent in accordance with TCCCP Regulation 2018.” According to TRAI, the acquired consent information will be shared on the Digital Ledger Platform (DLT) for cleansing by all access providers.
Access providers, which include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, have been instructed to send consent-seeking messages using a common short code beginning with 127.
“The purpose, the scope of the consent, and the name of the principal entity or brand shall be specified in the consent-request message sent via short code,” the statement said.
It was stated that only whitelisted or approved web or app URLs, contact numbers, etc., could be used in consent-seeking messages.
“Additionally, access providers shall develop an SMS, IVR (interactive voice response), and online facility for customers to register their refusal to receive consent-seeking messages initiated by any principal entity,” the statement continued.
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