Mumbai: Over 70K Links Whitelisted As TRAI Cracks Down On URL Misuse In Messages

Mumbai: In a major step to curb the misuse of URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) in messages, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had issued a Direction last month, instructing all Access Providers to block any traffic containing URLs, APKs (Android Package Kit), or OTT (Over The Top) links that have not been whitelisted.

To ensure smooth flow of SMS traffic containing URLs, TRAI had advised registered senders to promptly upload their whitelisted URL/APK/OTT links to the portal of the respective Access Providers.

So far, over 3,000 registered senders have complied with this requirement by whitelisting more than 70,000 links. Senders who fail to whitelist their links by the due date will not be able to transmit any messages containing URL/APK/OTT links, officials said. The Direction is set to be implemented by 1st October 2024.

Last month, the TRAI officials had a meeting with heads of all the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and issues related to spam calls by entities sending bulk commercial communications and whitelisting of URLs for blocking of messages containing malicious links were discussed.

After detailed deliberations, it was decided that if any entity misuses lines for making spam calls, all the Telecom Resources of the entity shall be disconnected by its TSP and the entity shall be blacklisted by it.

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"This information shall be shared by the TSP with all other TSPs who will, in turn, disconnect all the telecom resources given by them to that entity and blacklist it for a period of up to two years. No new telecom resources will be allocated to it by any TSP during the period of blacklisting. With effect from 1st September 2024, no message, containing URLs/APKs that are not whitelisted, would be allowed to be delivered. This initiative by TRAI is designed to safeguard consumers from unsolicited messages containing malicious links while fostering a transparent and secure communication system. By complying with these new rules, both Access Providers and registered senders can help in creating a more reliable and safe messaging environment," a Department of Telecommunications official said.