New Delhi: The Ministry of Consumer Affairs on Thursday sought public comments till July 21 on draft guidelines to curb unsolicited and unwanted commercial communications such as promotional calls and text messages.
The guidelines, prepared after consultations with stakeholders including telecom companies and regulators, define "business communication" as any communication related to goods or services, such as promotional and service messages, but excludes personal communication.
They will apply to all individuals and entities that conduct or engage others for or benefit from such communications, the ministry said in a statement.
The draft guidelines classify any commercial communication as unsolicited and unwanted if it does not comply with the recipient's consent or registered preferences.
Other conditions that would make a communication unauthorized include using unregistered numbers or SMS headers, calling despite recipients opting out, failing to obtain digital consent, failing to identify the caller and the purpose , and lack an opt-out option.
The proposals also ban such communications that violate Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) rules on commercial messages based on customer preferences.
While the Trai rules of 2018 have been effective for registered telemarketers, communications from unregistered sellers using private 10-digit numbers remain unabated, the ministry said.
"Do Not Disturb (DND) registration has been very effective for registered telemarketers, but unwarranted communication from unregistered telemarketers and those using private 10-digit numbers continues unabated," the ministry said.
The government is "committed to safeguarding the interests and rights of consumers, especially in an increasingly broad and pervasive consumer space."
The draft guidelines aim to protect consumers from invasive and unauthorized marketing, the ministry added.
The guidelines, prepared after consultations with stakeholders including telecom companies and regulators, define "business communication" as any communication related to goods or services, such as promotional and service messages, but excludes personal communication.
They will apply to all individuals and entities that conduct or engage others for or benefit from such communications, the ministry said in a statement.
The draft guidelines classify any commercial communication as unsolicited and unwanted if it does not comply with the recipient's consent or registered preferences.
Other conditions that would make a communication unauthorized include using unregistered numbers or SMS headers, calling despite recipients opting out, failing to obtain digital consent, failing to identify the caller and the purpose , and lack an opt-out option.
The proposals also ban such communications that violate Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) rules on commercial messages based on customer preferences.
While the Trai rules of 2018 have been effective for registered telemarketers, communications from unregistered sellers using private 10-digit numbers remain unabated, the ministry said.
"Do Not Disturb (DND) registration has been very effective for registered telemarketers, but unwarranted communication from unregistered telemarketers and those using private 10-digit numbers continues unabated," the ministry said.
The government is "committed to safeguarding the interests and rights of consumers, especially in an increasingly broad and pervasive consumer space."
The draft guidelines aim to protect consumers from invasive and unauthorized marketing, the ministry added.
