Regulators
TRAI disconnects 21 lakh telecom resources in 2025 spam crackdown
Regulator issues 7.3 lakh notices, drives surge in consumer complaints
NATIONAL: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has escalated its campaign against spam calls and messages, disconnecting telecom resources at scale and tightening penalties on repeat offenders.
According to its 2025 enforcement report, the regulator issued 7,31,120 notices to unregistered telemarketers during the year, signalling a tougher stance on Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC).
Penalties rose sharply for those who failed to comply. Around 4,73,075 entities faced one-month communication bans, while 89,936 repeat offenders were barred for six months. A further 1,84,482 telecom resources were disconnected entirely. Since August 2024, the cumulative number of disconnected resources has crossed 21.05 lakh, effectively dismantling large parts of persistent spam networks.
Consumer reporting played a central role in the crackdown. In 2025, users registered 31.09 lakh UCC complaints, with more than half, 17.06 lakh, filed via the Do Not Disturb (DND) app. App adoption surged, with installations rising 84.43 per cent year-on-year to 28.08 lakh, up from 15.22 lakh in 2024.
Trai chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti, said the focus was not only punitive action but a “perceptible improvement” in consumer experience. He said the regulator was pursuing a two-track approach: enabling legitimate, consent-based communication through registered channels while deploying AI-led spam detection and distributed ledger technology to identify and eliminate rogue operators.
Trai noted that unregistered telemarketers account for the overwhelming majority of UCC complaints, reinforcing the regulator’s view that stricter enforcement against non-compliant players is key to restoring consumer trust in telecom communications.
I&B Ministry
MIB halts news TRPs for four weeks over sensational US-Iran conflict coverage
Government flags panic-mongering in television war coverage
NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to suspend television ratings for news channels for four weeks amid concerns over sensational coverage of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
According to media reports, the move intends to curb excessive dramatisation in television reporting that could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
Officials have observed that several news broadcasters are amplifying developments in the conflict in ways that may fuel panic among viewers. By temporarily halting the publication of viewership data, the ministry hopes to ease the competitive pressure on channels to chase ratings through sensational content.
The suspension will remain in effect for one month for now. During this period, television news channels will continue to broadcast as usual, but their audience measurement figures will neither be counted nor released.
Authorities will monitor both the evolving geopolitical situation and the tone of television coverage during the pause. The four-week suspension could be extended if the government believes the risk of panic-mongering or sensational reporting persists.
