Why You May Stop Receiving Bank OTP Messages and More from September 1
The issue of spam messages and calls continues to be a prevalent concern for many individuals in India. In an effort to address this problem, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced a new directive requiring telecom operators to regulate the transmission of messages containing URLs, OTT links, and other similar content. While the primary goal is to reduce the influx of spam messages, this directive may also impact the delivery of regular and important messages.
Commencing on September 1, users may experience disruptions in receiving messages from banks, financial institutions, and e-commerce platforms. This directive mandates that telecom operators cease the transmission of messages containing specific elements, such as URLs, OTT links, APKs, or call-back numbers, from operators that have not been registered with TRAI.
As a consequence, messages from unregistered banks and institutions, if containing the restricted elements, will not reach the intended recipients and will be blocked. Until August 31, these entities have the opportunity to register their message templates with the telecom operators to avoid any disruptions in communication.
Traditionally, companies have registered their headers with telecom operators, but this process does not encompass the content of the messages being transmitted. However, with the new directive in place, telecom operators will be required to scrutinize the message content to identify and block spam messages. This may involve the implementation of a new system to match and authenticate message content.
It is worth noting that leading telecom operators such as Jio, Airtel, and Vi have expressed discontent with this directive, advocating for an extension of the deadline. Whether the deadline will be extended remains to be seen. Should users encounter difficulties in receiving OTPs or other important messages from September 1 onwards, they can attribute it to these regulatory changes.
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