Telecom operators have opposed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) proposal to block mobile numbers flagged as potential spam by artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems, saying the move could inconvenience users and risk blocking genuine subscribers.
Operators have sought wider stakeholder consultations before the regulator issues any final directions, stressing that consumers should not face service disruption due to an arbitrary or inadequately defined process.
TRAI is examining a framework under which calls and messages identified as potential or suspected spam by AI-driven tools deployed by telcos could attract regulatory action, including disconnection of mobile numbers, even without a formal complaint.
At present, operators typically act against a spammer after receiving five unique complaints within 10 days. Under the proposal being discussed, action may also be taken if an AI system flags a number as potential spam for 10 consecutive days, regardless of whether any complaint has been lodged.
As per the operators, AI-based spam warning solutions, currently offered voluntarily to users, have already led to a sharp decline in spam complaints, as customers can decide whether to answer calls based on on-screen alerts.
However, they argued that blocking or disconnecting numbers solely on the basis of AI-generated data may not be technically appropriate, as not all flagged communications are necessarily spam. They also cautioned that if a genuine user is wrongly blocked, the unblocking process can be cumbersome, requiring fresh know-your-customer verification and other formalities.
The industry has suggested that the regulator should instead prioritise structural measures such as allocating dedicated numbering series for different categories of commercial communication and fixing accountability on telemarketers. Further, telcos and the Department of Telecommunications have written to TRAI multiple times seeking stricter regulation of telemarketers, but no concrete action has been taken so far.
