Various types of scams are also increasing on messaging platforms like WhatsApp. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) is shaking with this. Following a request from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the ministry has asked WhatsApp’s parent company Meta to take swift action. The government was in talks with Mark Zuckerberg’s company, said METY Secretary S Krishnan. The problem is that scammers are constantly finding and using new ways to exploit users. So the challenge is very difficult.
In an interview to the Economic Times, Krishnan emphasized that the government maintains regular communication with all stakeholders including WhatsApp. He urged users to be vigilant and report suspicious content. According to Krishnan, users can file a complaint directly through the app or with any complaint officer outside the platform. If no resolution is reached, the issues can be escalated to the Appellate Committee as per the IT Rules.
Call for more stringent measures
TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti confirmed that MEITY is already looking into the WhatsApp calls, calling for TRAI to take further steps to curb the issue. The telecom regulator’s concern stems from the growing misuse of over-the-top (OTT) apps like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, which currently fall outside the direct purview of TRAI and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Challenges with regulating OTT platforms
WhatsApp has taken some positive steps including blocking numbers as requested by the government. Platforms like Signal and Telegram are still largely unregulated. This lack of oversight makes it difficult to prevent scams, especially with apps like WhatsApp that are used by billions of people. Telecom operators Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone-Idea have expressed frustration over their inability to control spam and phishing on OTT platforms. International numbers are now being used by scammers to facilitate fraud to avoid government surveillance.
Fraudsters are known to have found various ways to trick WhatsApp users, including convincing victims to share their screen or provide sensitive information such as one-time passwords (OTPs). So that Digital India does not become Scam India, that is now the biggest headache of the government.