New Delhi, April 29 || 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.