Telecom industry backs govt move to tackle spam calls, messages from OTT platforms
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Tuesday welcomed the government's decision to step in and address the growing menace of spam and scam calls originating from Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has decided to take the lead on this issue, as was conveyed during a recent meeting of the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR).
The industry sees this as a much-needed move, especially since spam and scam activities are increasingly shifting to OTT communication apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and others.
While the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), along with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), has been tightening regulations around Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC) on traditional telecom networks, similar control over OTT platforms has been missing.
According to COAI, the MeitY's involvement shows a shift in thinking, where the responsibility of regulating digital platforms will now lie with the relevant ministries, instead of unfairly placing the burden on telecom operators.
The COAI said this is important because TSPs have limited control over what happens on OTT apps, even if the user is the same.
COAI Director General Lt. Gen. S. P. Kochhar explained the challenge using a simple example: a telecom operator can trace a phone number to a particular city and provide legal assistance if needed.
"But when an OTT app is used on a different device, it becomes harder to track, as the app and the SIM card are no longer linked after installation," Kochhar stated.
While the telecom number can only be traced to the city where the mobile is residing, there are no ways to trace the activities of the OTT Communication App which was initially issued on the mobile number, but is now running off a separate handset, while the SIM is on a different handset, he added.
"This happens because the App and the SIM are not tightly bound together after the installation of the App," Kochhar mentioned.
According to the COAI, another rising threat is steganography, where harmful content is hidden inside regular files like images or documents.
This makes it easier for cybercriminals to carry out fraud and attacks without being detected.
The COAI stressed that strong cybersecurity measures are needed across telecom and OTT platforms.
The industry body believes that a unified set of rules for all digital communication players is the only way to protect people from spam, fraud calls, and messages.
"The aim should be clear -- to ensure a safer digital environment for users and reduce the nuisance of spam and scam communications as much as possible," the COAI said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Man booked for sharing provocative content via WhatsApp
Mangaluru: Puttur Town police registered a case against an individual from Kasaragod in Kerala for circulating provocative content via WhatsApp. The accused is Satyanarayana Adiga, a resident of Adoor, Kasaragod. His writings could potentially disrupt public peace and threaten law and order. Consequently, a case was filed against him on Thursday under sections 353(2), 196(1)(a) of the BNS. An investigation is under way, and further legal actions will be taken, police said. Online fraudsters cheat woman A woman from Udupi was duped of Rs 4.9 lakh after being made to invest in a fraudulent trading scheme. Unidentified persons added the complainant to a Telegram App group titled K&K GROUP and thereafter lured her to invest in trading, offering good profit. Following this, the complainant transferred the amount to various bank accounts of the accused between June 1 and 4. Udupi CEN police registered a case under sections 66(c), 66(d) of the IT Act and 318(4) of the BNS. Woman rescued Manipal police rescued a woman who was kept captive in a lodge room for forced prostitution at Dasharatha Nagar, 80 Badagabettu village, on Thursday. Based on a tip-off, the police team conducted a raid, rescued the woman, and arrested the accused, Chuman Ram. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo A case was registered against the accused under sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. 32 cattle rescued The district task force, formed by Udupi deputy commissioner Vidya Kumari K, rescued 32 heads of cattle in various police station limits in the district. Cows and calves were sent to gaushalas in Teggarse, Hebri, Nancharu, Mudaru, and a temple in Hiriyadka. In another incident, Byndoor police seized a truck that was transporting 11 heads of cattle illegally on Thursday. The police team also seized a car that was following the truck. A case was registered under sections 4, 5, 7, 12 of the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020; sections 4, 5, 7, 12 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960; and sections 11, (1)(D) of the IMV Act 66 read with Section 192 (A). Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Madras High Court summons Greater Chennai City Commissioner of Police
The Madras High Court has summoned Greater Chennai City Commissioner of Police A. Arun to explain the reasons for the Nolambur police not having acted upon a complaint lodged by a flat owner against two other owners in his apartment complex under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989. Justice P. Velmurugan ordered that the Commissioner of Police must appear on June 9, and clarify why no action was taken on the complaint even after the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes (NCSC) had forwarded it to the Commissionerate on December 26 last year, and had called for a report on the action taken within 15 days. The order was passed on a writ petition filed by engineering degree-holder V. Vanamalai of Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district. The petitioner said he owned a flat at Vinoth Viruksha Apartments at Nolambur in Chennai. He had a dispute regarding the funds of the flat owners' welfare association. The petitioner, along with another flat owner, had lodged a criminal complaint alleging misappropriation of ₹1.25 crore, and the matter was under investigation by the Central Crime Branch. Irked over it, one of the flat owners had used abusive language against the petitioner after coming to know that he belonged to a Scheduled Caste community, the petitioner claimed. The petitioner also complained that he was insulted directly and indirectly in the WhatsApp group used by the flat owners, and claimed that it was a caste-based atrocity. He lodged an online complaint with the Inspector of the Nolambur police station on November 4, 2024, and subsequently made a complaint to the NCSC on December 9, 2024. The NCSC forwarded the complaint to the Commissioner of Police, and called for a report within 15 days. The Commission's communication was marked to the petitioner too. However, till date, the police had not even conducted an inquiry regarding the complaint, the petitioner said.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Pentagon watchdog investigates if staffers were asked to delete Hegseth's Signal messages
The Pentagon watchdog is looking into whether any of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's aides was asked to delete Signal messages that may have shared sensitive military information with a reporter, according to two people familiar with the investigation and documents reviewed by The Associated Press. The inspector general's request focuses on how information about the March 15 airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen was shared on the messaging app. This comes as Hegseth is scheduled to testify before Congress next week for the first time since his confirmation hearing. He is likely to face questions under oath not only about his handling of sensitive information but also the wider turmoil at the Pentagon following the departures of several senior aides and an internal investigation over information leaks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Roteirizador Pathfind - O planejador de rotas mais completo do mercado Sistema TMS embarcador Saiba Mais Undo Hegseth already has faced questions over the installation of an unsecured internet line in his office that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols and revelations that he shared details about the military strikes in multiple Signal chats. One of the chats included his wife and brother, while the other included President Donald Trump 's top national security officials and inadvertently included The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. Live Events Neither the Pentagon nor the inspector general's office immediately responded to Friday requests for comment on the investigation. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Besides finding out whether anyone was asked to delete Signal messages, the inspector general also is asking some past and current staffers who were with Hegseth on the day of the strikes who posted the information and who had access to his phone, according to the two people familiar with the investigation and the documents reviewed by the AP. The people were not authorised to discuss the investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Democratic lawmakers and a small number of Republicans have said that the information Hegseth posted to the Signal chats before the military jets had reached their targets could have put those pilots' lives at risk and that for any lower-ranking members of the military it would have led to their firing. Hegseth has said none of the information was classified. Multiple current and former military officials have said there is no way details with that specificity, especially before a strike took place, would have been OK to be shared on an unsecured device. "I said repeatedly, nobody is texting war plans," Hegseth told Fox News Channel in April after reporting emerged about the chat that included his family members. "I look at war plans every day. What was shared over Signal then and now, however you characterise it, was informal, unclassified coordinations, for media coordinations and other things. That's what I've said from the beginning." Trump has made clear that Hegseth continues to have his support, saying during a Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia that the defence secretary "went through a lot" but "he's doing really well." Hegseth has limited his public engagements with the press since the Signal controversy. He has yet to hold a Pentagon press briefing, and his spokesman has briefed reporters there only once. The inspector general is investigating Hegseth at the request of the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and the committee's top Democrat, Sen Jack Reed of Rhode Island. Signal is a publicly available app that provides encrypted communications, but it can be hacked and is not approved for carrying classified information. On March 14, one day before the strikes against the Houthis, the Defence Department cautioned personnel about the vulnerability of the app. Trump has said his administration targeted the Houthis over their "unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism." He has noted the disruption Houthi attacks caused through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, key waterways for energy and cargo shipments between Asia and Europe through Egypt's Suez Canal. The Houthi rebels attacked more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, between November 2023 until January this year. Their leadership described the attacks as aimed at ending the Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
