TRAI's Innovative Step: Launching Digital Consent Management Pilot with RBI

In a bid to combat burgeoning spam complaints, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has embarked on a pioneering digital consent management pilot project, in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and select banks. This initiative is rooted in the frequent grievances of consumers who receive unsolicited commercial communications despite having previously purchased goods or services from businesses.

The endeavor is anchored on the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018, allowing companies to reach out to consumers, even those with Do Not Disturb (DND) preferences, provided they have explicit consumer consent. However, TRAI's investigation reveals that such consents are often obtained through unverifiable offline methods, raising concerns over their authenticity.

To remedy this, the new digital framework aims to digitally secure consumer consents on a reliable registry maintained by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). This secure and interoperable system ensures that consents are genuine, encouraging a safer communications landscape. With the banking sector at the forefront due to its susceptibility to financial frauds via spam, this pilot will validate and refine the initiative's operational and technical aspects, setting the stage for a sector-wide expansion of the digital consent ecosystem. TRAI remains steadfast in its mission to protect consumers and promote confidence in legitimate commercial exchanges.

(With inputs from agencies.)