Stiffer fines for pesky calls, SMS soon; DoT proposes Rs 10,000 penalty for every call and SMS after 50 violations

Taking serious note of pesky calls, the Department of Telecom might soon come up with higher fines and penalties on these telemarketers. The department has proposed to further tighten the noose on pesky callers by imposing a Rs 10,000 penalty for every call and SMS made by telemarketers after 50 violations, news agency PTI reported quoting an official source.  

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The Department of Telecom (DoT) has proposed to make the norms more stringent by reducing the slabs for levying penalty to Rs 1,000 per violation for 0-10 breaches, Rs 5,000 each for 10-50 violations and Rs 10,000 each for more than 50 violations.  

The slabs under the present Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018 are 0-100, 100-1,000 and more than 1,000 violations. 

Besides, the DoT's Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) will check violations at the device-level as well.  

The DIU will send a system generated message to suspected numbers for verification.  

"In case of non re-verification, all those numbers will be disconnected and associated IMEIs will be put under suspected list. No calls, SMS or data will be allowed for the IMEIs in suspected list for a period of 30 days," the source said. 

Any communication made by pesky callers from a new connection using the device with IMEI number recorded in the grey list will be asked for re-verification.  

If the pesky caller thereafter changes the device, the IMEI number of the new device will also be put in the suspected list by the system until the re-verification gets completed.  

If the pesky caller's number is activated after re-verification and is again found to be violating norms, then usage of the new connection will be capped to 20 calls and 20 SMSes per day for six months.  

"In case the violation continues thereafter, then identity and address proof used for buying telecom connections will be blocked for a period of 2 years," the source said.