If you?ve been plagued by spam business calls and messages despite activating the ?Do Not Disturb? (DND) mode on your phone, the Consumer Affairs Ministry has some good news for you. The ministry has released draft guidelines aimed at curbing unsolicited and unwanted business communications, inviting public comments until July 21.

Developed in consultation with telecom firms and regulators, these guidelines define ?business communication? broadly, covering any message related to goods or services, including promotional and service messages, while excluding personal communication. This initiative seeks to bolster consumer protection by tackling the growing issue of intrusive business calls and texts.

The proposed guidelines will be applicable to all individuals and entities involved in making, facilitating, or benefiting from such communications. According to the ministry, any business communication will be deemed unsolicited and unwanted if it fails to align with the recipient?s consent or registered preferences.

Specific conditions that would render a communication unauthorised include:

• Using unregistered numbers or SMS headers.
• Making calls despite recipients opting out.
• Failing to obtain digital consent.
• Not identifying the caller and purpose clearly.
• Lacking an opt-out option for recipients.

Additionally, the proposals include provisions to prevent communications that violate the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) rules on commercial messages, based on customer preferences. While TRAI?s 2018 regulations have effectively curbed messages from registered telemarketers, the ministry highlighted that spam from unregistered marketers using private 10-digit numbers continues to be a significant problem.

?The Do Not Disturb (DND) registry has been highly effective for registered telemarketers, but unwarranted communication from unregistered telemarketers and those using private 10-digit numbers remains unabated,? the ministry noted.

Reaffirming the government?s commitment to safeguarding consumer interests and rights, especially in an increasingly expansive and penetrative consumer space, the draft guidelines aim to shield consumers from invasive and unauthorised marketing. The ministry emphasized that these measures are crucial for enhancing consumer trust and ensuring a more secure communication environment.

The public is encouraged to review the draft guidelines and submit their comments by July 21, contributing to the development of effective regulations that will enhance consumer protection against unwanted business communications.