TRAI directs telcos to deploy AI, machine learning to detect pesky SMS senders – Times of India

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has directed all telecom operators to deploy artificial intelligence and machine learning technology in their systems to detect, identify and act against senders of Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) who are not registered in accordance with regulations.
The telecom regulator has asked all access providers to comply with the directions and report an updated status on actions taken, within 30 days.
What are UCC and UTMs?
Commercial communications are sent by a registered operator to its customers without their request largely for the purpose of informing or promoting their service. UCC is any such commercial communication that is neither as per the consent nor as per registered preference(s) of the recipient, according to TRAI.

The unregistered entities (with the access providers) that use ten digits mobile numbers for sending commercial communications through messages or calls are called Unregistered Telemarketers (UTMs).
TRAI said that while measures taken by it to curb pesky messages has led to a drop in complaints against Registered Telemarketers (RTMs), “UCC from Unregistered Telemarketers (UTMs) is still continuing.” It also termed pesky calls and messages as a major source of inconvenience to the public.
“At times these Unregistered Telemarketers (UTMs) through messages having fraudulent links and telephone numbers trap the customers into sharing of their critical information causing financial loss to the customers,” TRAI said in a notification.

TRAI also highlighted that though Access Service providers have implemented such detect systems as per their suitability and feasibility, the UTMs are continuously evolving new techniques to send unsolicited communications, hence, the current systems are not fully capable to detect UCCs.
Warning for PEs
Last month, TRAI issued a warning to Principal Entities (PEs) – like banks, other financial institutions, insurance companies, trading companies and businesses – to get their content templates registered. The move is a part of curbing SMS scams in the country.
The telecom regulator said that if an entity fails to register a template then their commercial SMSes will not be allowed to be sent to consumers.