Consumer interest at the forefront of TRAI's amended TCCCPR

Time of India

3 days ago

In a bid to further safeguard consumers, the
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(
TRAI
) has announced significant changes to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (TCCCPR) through the Second Amendment Regulations, 2025. The reforms aim to strengthen
consumer protection
against
Unsolicited Commercial Communications
(UCC), streamline the complaint redressal mechanism, and plug regulatory gaps that have allowed telemarketing misuse in the past.
Key Focus: Empowering Consumers in a Digital-First Era
At the core of these amendments lies enhanced consumer autonomy. A landmark shift is the removal of mandatory preference registration for filing spam complaints. Now, consumers can report UCC against a very simple process, where they only provide some basic details such as their number, sender's number, date of receipt, and a short description of the message.
It's worth noting that the complaint window has also been extended from 3 to 7 days, this will provide more time to consumers for acting. Access providers (APs) must now act within 5 days, down from 30, making the redressal process significantly more responsive. Repeat violations by senders can result in blacklisting, telecom service disconnection for up to a year, and even device blocking—a major deterrent to habitual spammers.
Moreover, consumers no longer need to navigate a separate preference management system. All promotional communications must now include a clear opt-out mechanism, ensuring control lies with the recipient at every stage.
New Safeguards Around Consent
Further ensuring the power remains with the consumer, the amendments introduce consent expiry timelines, addressing the misuse of outdated permissions. Consent for one-time transactions lapses in 7 days, and service-related communications are valid only during the contract period.
Post opt-out, a cooling period of 90 days prevents senders from soliciting renewed consent, although consumers can voluntarily opt-in again. Furthermore, disclosures around automated tools like auto-diallers and robocalls are now mandatory, ensuring transparency.
Message headers are now standardised with suffixes like '-P' for promotional, '-S' for service, '-T' for transactional, and '-G' for government, giving consumers clear visibility on the nature of incoming communications.
Strengthening the Commercial Communications Ecosystem
To deter fraudulent actors and strengthen regulatory oversight, TRAI has also focused on ecosystem-level interventions. Access providers are now obligated to monitor suspicious patterns using tools like:
Pattern analysis based on call volumes and ratiosHoneypot numbers to detect emerging UCC trendsBiometric authentication and physical verification of telemarketers
The updated norms restrict the use of regular 10-digit numbers for commercial messages. Instead, communications must come from designated series—140-series for promotional calls and a new 1600-series for transactional and service calls—enabling consumers to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent messages more easily.
To enhance traceability, intermediary layers between Principal Entities and telemarketers have been restricted, ensuring a clear accountability trail. All senders must now self-certify registration data annually, and any unused or fraudulent headers are subject to immediate deletion and action.
Holding Access Providers Accountable
Moving to the other side of the spectrum, the repercussions are now severe for APs and scammers. Access Providers now play a frontline role in enforcement. Penalties for non-compliance are stringent, with fines of:
₹2 lakh for a first violation₹5 lakh for a second₹10 lakh for further breaches
APs are also empowered to collect security deposits from telemarketers, which are forfeited upon violations, further tightening compliance. Importantly, penalties apply not just to spam-senders, but also to misreporting of complaints, invalid closures, and non-compliance with header and template registration norms by APs.
Challenges in Implementation
Despite the comprehensive nature of the amendments, the implementation is currently faced with hurdles:
Digital Literacy: Many consumers may still be unaware of their rights or lack the digital literacy to navigate complaint platforms efficiently.
Inter-Operator Coordination: Blacklisting and service disconnections require seamless cooperation between multiple access providers and regulators.
Consent Platform Onboarding: Bringing all senders—especially in the government and financial sectors—onto the digital consent acquisition system will demand extensive alignment.
AI-based Spam Evasion: Spammers increasingly use AI-driven tactics to evade detection. While pattern recognition systems and honeypots offer strong defence, AI-based detection and filtering systems will need to evolve in parallel.
A joint committee of sectoral regulators is already working on implementation strategies for the 1600-series, and on enhancing the digital consent acquisition framework. Their efforts also include blocking fraudulent IMEIs, eliminating unused headers, and detecting scam behaviour early on.
The Road Ahead
TRAI's 2025 amendments are a progressive evolution of its 2018 regulatory framework. By simplifying complaint procedures, enhancing transparency, enforcing stricter penalties, and holding telecom players accountable, the amendments place consumer rights at the centre of India's communications ecosystem.
However, the efficacy of these reforms will ultimately depend on how efficiently the ecosystem adapts—from awareness-building campaigns and real-time monitoring, to embracing AI-powered enforcement that can evolve as quickly as the spam tactics it seeks to counter.
As the battle against UCC continues, TRAI's amended TCCCPR serve as a timely and robust reset, reminding stakeholders that responsible communication and consumer consent must remain non-negotiable pillars of India's digital future.
(DISCLAIMER: Views expressed are the author's personal.)