New Delhi: 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.