TRAI urges banks, other entities to adopt Digital Consent Acquisition system by stipulated deadlines
The DCA system provides a centralised platform for managing customer consent preferences, enabling them to easily grant or revoke consent for receiving commercial messages.
- Nov 9, 2023,
- Updated Nov 9, 2023 4:02 PM IST
In its ongoing effort to curb unsolicited commercial messages (UCC), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has called upon banks and other entities that send commercial SMS or voice calls to telecom subscribers to promptly integrate with the Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) system. The DCA system provides a centralised platform for managing customer consent preferences, enabling them to easily grant or revoke consent for receiving commercial messages.
TRAI had previously issued directives in June 2023 mandating all access providers (telecoms) to develop and implement the DCA system. The timeline for onboarding Principal Entities (PEs), which include banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, trading companies, business entities, and real estate companies, was set as September 30 for the banking, insurance, finance, and trading sectors, and November 30 for the remaining sectors.
Under the current system, consent management is handled by individual PEs, making it difficult for access providers to verify the authenticity of consent. Additionally, there is no unified mechanism for customers to manage their consent preferences across different entities. The DCA system addresses these shortcomings by providing a centralized platform for managing consent data.
Consent data collected through the DCA system will be stored on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) Platform, established under TCCCPR-2018 for commercial communications, and will be accessible to all access providers for scrubbing purposes.
To facilitate consent acquisition, a common short code 127xxx will be used for sending consent-seeking messages. These messages will clearly outline the purpose, scope, and sender information of the consent request. Only whitelisted URLs/ APKs/ OTT links/Call Back numbers, etc. can be included in these messages. Additionally, consent confirmation messages will provide information on how to revoke consent.
Access providers are also tasked with developing an SMS/ Online facility for customers to register their unwillingness to receive any consent-seeking messages.
TRAI has also emphasised that once the DCA system is implemented, all existing consents acquired through other means will be rendered invalid, and PEs will be required to obtain fresh consent through digital channels only.
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In its ongoing effort to curb unsolicited commercial messages (UCC), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has called upon banks and other entities that send commercial SMS or voice calls to telecom subscribers to promptly integrate with the Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) system. The DCA system provides a centralised platform for managing customer consent preferences, enabling them to easily grant or revoke consent for receiving commercial messages.
TRAI had previously issued directives in June 2023 mandating all access providers (telecoms) to develop and implement the DCA system. The timeline for onboarding Principal Entities (PEs), which include banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, trading companies, business entities, and real estate companies, was set as September 30 for the banking, insurance, finance, and trading sectors, and November 30 for the remaining sectors.
Under the current system, consent management is handled by individual PEs, making it difficult for access providers to verify the authenticity of consent. Additionally, there is no unified mechanism for customers to manage their consent preferences across different entities. The DCA system addresses these shortcomings by providing a centralized platform for managing consent data.
Consent data collected through the DCA system will be stored on the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) Platform, established under TCCCPR-2018 for commercial communications, and will be accessible to all access providers for scrubbing purposes.
To facilitate consent acquisition, a common short code 127xxx will be used for sending consent-seeking messages. These messages will clearly outline the purpose, scope, and sender information of the consent request. Only whitelisted URLs/ APKs/ OTT links/Call Back numbers, etc. can be included in these messages. Additionally, consent confirmation messages will provide information on how to revoke consent.
Access providers are also tasked with developing an SMS/ Online facility for customers to register their unwillingness to receive any consent-seeking messages.
TRAI has also emphasised that once the DCA system is implemented, all existing consents acquired through other means will be rendered invalid, and PEs will be required to obtain fresh consent through digital channels only.
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