Efforts to curb spam calls have been underway by the government for quite some time. However, marketing companies always find ways to reach people. Now, the central government is preparing to crack down on spam calls. It is believed that the new guidelines set by the government will be strict and capable of stopping spam calls.
Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had issued directions to all companies to display the caller’s name during phone calls. Additionally, demands were made from all smartphone manufacturers to incorporate this feature.
Discussion on the Issue
At the beginning of this year, the Consumer Affairs Department held a meeting to discuss the issue of unlawful marketing calls. A committee was formed for this purpose, which has already drafted new guidelines. On May 10, a discussion was held on this draft, attended by representatives from the Consumer Affairs Department, the Telecom Department, TRAI, the Cellular Operators Association of India, BSNL, Vodafone, Reliance, and Airtel.
Suggestions Against Calls and Messages
According to senior officials, the new draft guidelines include various rules, and the definition of illegal calls and messages has been determined. Several suggestions were made against such calls and messages. When the draft was prepared, these suggestions were also taken into account. Now, the Consumer Affairs Department needs to approve these guidelines.
Digital Consent Acquisition System
According to the committee, the need for a Digital Consent Acquisition System (DCA System) changes things for customers who have been struggling with annoying and misleading calls and messages. Despite the efforts of TRAI and the Telecom Department towards these guidelines, no positive results have been achieved so far. The committee has urged banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, and commercial companies to develop the Digital Consent Acquisition System (DCA System). Under this system, customers will determine whether they want to receive marketing calls or not.