Are you fed up with the never-ending flood of unwanted SMS messages from commercial entities? Those relentless attempts to lure you into trying new products, applying for loans, or opening bank accounts may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new government mandate. This ruling is set to transform your SMS inbox by ensuring that you only receive promotional messages when you explicitly grant your consent.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently introduced the Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) rule, compelling telecom operators to take action. This rule mandates that Principle Entities (Pes) or message senders must secure the user’s consent before inundating them with commercial messages.
Under the previous system, these Pes or senders were solely responsible for acquiring and maintaining consent, with telecom operators having no mechanism to verify the authenticity of the user’s consent. Furthermore, there was no unified system to enable users to grant or revoke their consent.
The updated DCA rule brings about a significant change. All consents will now be managed by the access providers or telecom companies themselves. They are also required to establish an SMS/Online system for users to communicate their unwillingness to receive any consent-seeking messages.
TRAI is now actively implementing the DCA rule, which outlines specific requirements for Pes or senders. When seeking consent, they must send a message with a designated short code (for example – 127xxx). This message should contain essential details, including the purpose, scope of consent, and the principal entity/brand name/sender name. Moreover, the consent-seeking message should only include white-listed URLs, APKs, OTT links, and Call Back numbers, as stated in the guidelines.
It’s important to note that Pes or senders will need to obtain fresh consent from users through the digital means outlined above. Any existing consents obtained through other methods will become null and void.
How Does This Rule Benefit Users?
- Choice and Control: Users now have the power to decide whether they wish to receive commercial or promotional messages.
- Consent Management: It is likely that users will have the ability to manage all their consents conveniently in one place, either through SMS or an online facility.
- No More Spam: The end of unsolicited and irrelevant messages cluttering your inbox.
- Reduced Fraud: With a structured consent system in place, fraudulent activities are less likely to occur.
- Transparency: Users will gain greater visibility into the promotional messages they are set to receive.
This new regulation marks a significant step toward offering users a more peaceful and controlled messaging experience, effectively safeguarding them against unsolicited and intrusive commercial communications.
