Unwanted calls and scams are a major drawback in the digital age. Phone scams have become
widespread, threatening not just financial security but also our identity and privacy, to curb
this problem various initiatives are taken by TRAI. Recently The Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) has mandated that entities must get user consent for sending
commercial SMS messages, allowing users to decide whether to accept or revoke such
consent. It has instructed all Access Providers to establish a Digital Consent Acquisition
(DCA) facility. This system is designed to provide a unified platform for telecom subscribers
to digitally register their consent to receive commercial communications from different
entities.
This regulatory action marks a major advancement in the fight against unsolicited
commercial communications and spam messages. It gives customers greater control over the
messages they receive and establishes a clear and unified system for managing consent. All
Principal Entities are encouraged to promptly integrate into the DCA system.
The DCA system seeks to establish a unified platform for telecom subscribers to digitally
register their consent to receive commercial communications from various entities. These
entities, referred to as Principal Entities (PEs) or Senders, include banks, financial
institutions, insurance companies, trading companies, and others.
Banks are struggling with the latest regulation from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI), which requires digital consent for sending commercial communications.
Lenders have sought clarification from the government on whether this consent is needed for
sharing transaction details, as currently mandated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.
Furthermore, the regulation specifies that once the DCA is implemented, any previously
obtained consents through other methods will become invalid. All Principal Entities must
then obtain new consents exclusively through digital means. Through the implementation of
the DCA system, TRAI aims to foster a safer and more user-friendly environment for telecom
subscribers, while efficiently reducing the problem of spam and unwanted messages.