NEW DELHI: Telecom operators now expect internet calling and messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Google Meet and Telegram to comply with rules like all other service providers, industry body COAI said on Monday.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, said it was misleading to demand that over-the-top (OTT) communication apps be exempted from the Telecom Act, 2023, as they are subject to other regulations as various non-sectoral rules also apply to telecom operators.
“COAI wishes to express that 'security of the nation' is of utmost importance and in this regard, all communication service providers including OTT based communication services must comply with the necessary directives of the country as telecom service providers are doing,” COAI Secretary General SP Kochhar said.
He said telecom operators are investing heavily in building infrastructure for lawful interception and surveillance.
“However, despite these investments, unregulated application-based communications services completely bypass this equipment, posing a significant national security threat,” Kocher said.
He said the exponential growth of OTT services and unregulated proliferation of telecommunications services has created a complex web of security threats and an uneven playing field between regulated and law-abiding service providers.
Kochhar said some people argue that OTT communication services should not be brought under the Telecommunication Act, 2023 as they are already regulated under various laws such as the IT Act, 2000, the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the DPDP Act, 2023.
“This argument is completely misleading, as this requirement only pertains to the regulatory oversight of telecommunications services, which is expressly provided for in the Telecommunications Act, 2023. It is important to emphasize that TSPs regulated by the Telecommunications Act are also regulated by all the above laws provided for by Congress,” Kocher said.
Telecommunications companies have been calling on the government to create a level playing field by applying the same rules to calling and messaging apps that apply to them.
Published August 26, 2024 16:02 IST