New Delhi: 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-to-the-up (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 meeting of the joint committee of regulators (Jacor).
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 Unsolicized Communications (UCC) Networks, similar control over ot platforms have 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 ministers, instead of unofaired Telecom operators.
The coai said this is important because tsps have limited control over what husbands on Ott apps, even if the user is the same. Coai Director General Lt. Gen. SP 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. “But when an ott app is used on a different device, it becomes harder to track, as the app and the sim card are no longer linked after installation,” Kochhar stated.
While the telecom number can only be traced to the city where the mobile is residing, there are no ways to try the activities of the Ott Communication App which was initially issued on the mobile number, but Running off a separate handset, while the sim is on a different handset, he added. “This Haappens trust the app and the sim is not tightly bound together after the installation of the app,” Kochhar mentioned.
According to the coai, another risk threat is steganography, where harmful content is hidden inside inside regular files like images or documents.this makes it easier for cybercriminals to CARIUDENALS to CARIUD Attacks without being detected.
The coai stressed that Strong Cybersecurity Measures are Needed Across TELECOM and Ott Platforms. The industry body believes that a unified set of all digital communication players is the only way to protect people from spam, fraud calls, and messages. “The aim should be clear – to ensure a safer digital environment for users and reduce the nuisance of spam and scam communications as much as possible,” The coai said.