Will Aadhaar and Netbanking OTPs be delayed starting on December 1st? TRAI responds
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 29th November 2024
A day ago, a number of news sources and social media posts stated that consumers may experience delays in acquiring one-time passwords for Aadhaar, net banking, and other services beginning December 1, 2024. These sources claim that the new rules from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, which require telecom companies to track every message carried throughout the nation, are to blame for the delay. Widespread worry was heightened by the reports’ suggestion that users would encounter interruptions in crucial transactions. However, TRAI has indicated that this rumor is false.
In a recent X post, TRAI refuted these allegations of message delays, calling them “factually incorrect.” In its article, TRAI reassured the public that there will be no delays in OTP delivery due to its new message traceability criteria. The telecom regulator emphasized that while improving the security of messaging systems, telecom operators would continue to offer uninterrupted service for necessary transactions like OTPs.
In its clarification, TRAI directly addressed the misinformation stemming from an article by a news organisation that alleged users might face OTP delays under the new rules. “This is factually incorrect. TRAI has mandated the Access Providers to ensure message traceability. It will not delay the delivery of any message,” the regulatory body wrote in its post.
The recent directive from TRAI requiring telecom companies to put in place mechanisms for tracking the sources of bulk messages sparked worries about OTP delays. The telecom regulator hopes to reduce spam and fraudulent texts with these new rules.Telecom carriers are required by the mandate to make sure that every message can be tracked back to its source, from sender to recipient. The compliance deadline was moved from November 1, 2024, to November 30, 2024, to accommodate Principal Entities’ and Telemarketers’ declarations and technical improvements.
Access providers have already set up the required infrastructure to adhere to the rules, according to TRAI’s confirmation. To guarantee a seamless transfer without interfering with essential services, more time was allowed. The public was further informed by the telecom regulator that these efforts would not affect the dependability or speed of OTP-based transactions.
It’s noteworthy that TRAI’s message traceability rules are a component of a number of recent efforts to improve cybersecurity and lower spam. TRAI implemented sanctions for unauthorized commercial calls earlier this year, which include disconnecting telecom services and placing violators on a two-year blacklist. These actions have indeed had a notable impact, as evidenced by the 20 percent drop in spam call complaints between August and October 2024, according to TRAI.
