The government has proposed holding accountable banks, insurance firms, real estate developers, brokers, and other entities, including agencies engaging in 'pesky calls' on their behalf, for contacting individuals through unregistered telephone numbers regulated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). This represents the latest effort by the government and the telecom regulator to tackle the persistent issue that they have struggled to control for over two decades, despite previous initiatives such as the now-defunct 'do not disturb' service. Although Trai has discussed measures to address the problem, none of the agencies have yet established guidelines to address the unauthorised sale of personal data used by banks and real estate agents to make unsolicited calls, often featuring pre-recorded messages promoting properties or insurance schemes.

Recognising the violation of consumer rights and classifying unsolicited calls as an ‘unfair trade practice’, the consumer affairs department conducted a consultation with stakeholders recently and circulated draft guidelines to tackle the issue.

According to sources, under the proposed guidelines, calls made for business promotion from phone numbers not registered with the regulator would be classified as 'pesky calls.' The department's guidelines will primarily focus on safeguarding consumer interests and aiding them in identifying unwanted calls. Upon receiving complaints from consumers about such calls through the National Consumer Helpline, action would be initiated under the Consumer Protection Act.

It has been learned that there will be three distinct series of numbers — '140' for marketing, '160' for service-related calls, and '111' for government agencies to alert or inform citizens — to facilitate easy identification of the caller's purpose. A panel comprising members from the telecom industry, regulatory bodies such as telecom and financial services departments, the Reserve Bank of India, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, Trai, the Cellular Operators Association of India, telemarketing companies, and consumer organisations has been formed by the consumer affairs department.

The department emphasised that such calls not only infringe upon users' privacy but also violate consumers' rights. ""A majority of these calls originate from the financial services sector, followed by real estate. It has also been observed that spam callers are increasingly turning to internet calls, particularly via WhatsApp, to entice customers into ponzi schemes, crypto investments, and job offers,"" the department commented in a previous statement.

(Source: ET realty)