Context:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and select banks, has launched a pilot project aimed at digitising legacy user consents for receiving commercial communications. This initiative marks a significant step toward curbing rising incidents of financial frauds linked to spam calls and messages.
Why It Matters?
Paper-based user consents—still widely used in banking and financial services—pose a significant challenge in traceability and verification, often becoming a loophole exploited by fraudsters. By digitising these legacy records, TRAI and RBI aim to:
- Enhance accountability of consent collection
- Protect consumers from unsolicited communication
- Strengthen the overall security of mobile and banking ecosystems
Key features of the pilot include:
- Identification and digitisation of historical paper-based consents
- Integration with digital consent acquisition systems
- Ensuring real-time verification and traceability of customer permissions
The model may be extended to other high-risk sectors such as:
- Insurance
- E-commerce
- Digital lending
