Spammers beware: AI will now detect numbers, and companies will take action even without a complaint..

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken a significant step to curb the rising menace of spam calls and fraud. While issuing the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (05 of 2026), TRAI directed telecom companies to take direct action against spammers identified by their Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)-based caller ID systems. Notably, this process will not require waiting for a formal complaint from a customer. The new regulations include provisions for actions such as identifying suspected spammers, conducting KYC checks, disconnecting telecom resources, blacklisting, and reporting to law enforcement agencies when necessary.

How will AI detect spam calls?
Under the new rules, if a telecom operator's AI or Machine Learning system flags an incoming call as 'Suspected Spam,' details of that call must be shared with the telecom operator from whose network the call originated.

This information must be conveyed to the concerned Originating Access Provider (OAP) within two hours of the suspicious call being identified. Subsequently, the OAP must determine the unique KYC identity of the caller based on the information received.

The OAP is required to retrieve the sender's unique KYC identity details within one working day of receiving information about the suspicious call. This information will then be shared with other telecom operators to ascertain whether other connections linked to the same sender are active on different networks.

Connections from the past ten days will also be checked
Furthermore, the new regulations require telecom companies to look beyond just the specific number involved. Upon receiving the information, all operators must check their systems within one day to determine if there are any other connections linked to that suspected spammer on their networks from the past ten days.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), if five or more Caller Line Identifications (CLIs) associated with a sender are identified in this manner within a ten-day period, all relevant Access Providers (OAPs) will take action against that sender.

**Outgoing service to be suspended for 15 days for a first-time violation**
Under the rules, once the AI ​​system identifies a spammer, action will be taken even against a first-time offender. Specifically, upon the first violation, all telecom operators will suspend outgoing services for all telecom resources allocated to that sender for a period of 15 days.

Significantly, it will not be necessary to verify whether the specific telecom resource in question was actually used for the spam communication itself.

**What are the rules for repeat offenders?**
If a sender violates the rules again, the action taken could be even stricter. In such cases, all access providers will suspend all telecom resources belonging to the sender—such as PRI or SIP trunks, SIM cards, etc.—for one year. This action will apply regardless of whether these resources were used for the specific spam communication. Additionally, telecom operators or OAPs must place the sender in a "blacklist" category for one year; during this period, no telecom operator will issue new telecom resources to them.

**Number remains active, but outgoing calls suspended**
Under these rules, a blacklisted sender will retain their telephone number, but their outgoing services may be suspended. However, the telephone connection will be permitted to access notified emergency outgoing services. New rules for services like Truecaller
TRAI's revised regulations also include provisions for call management applications and services like Truecaller. These services are prohibited from tagging, blocking, or filtering incoming calls originating from number series designated by the Authority. This applies to number series assigned by the Authority for commercial and government communications—such as those starting with '1600'.

However, customers retain the freedom to filter or block any call on their devices based on their own needs and preferences.

Charge of up to 5 paise per minute for A2P calls
The revised rules also introduce changes regarding Application-to-Person (A2P) calls. Terminating Access Providers (TAPs) are permitted to charge Originating Access Providers up to ₹0.05 (five paise) per minute for A2P calls. This charge will be calculated on a per-minute pulse basis.

A2P calls are calls that originate from an application, software system, or automated platform and are directed to an individual.

Send 'BLOCK PROMO' to 1909 to stop promotional calls
If a customer wishes to block all categories of telemarketing calls, they can now send the text code 'BLOCK PROMO' to 1909.

According to TRAI, this option will block only promotional commercial communications—regardless of content, mode, time band, or day. It will not block commercial communications related to transactions and services, nor will it block government communications.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we modified it for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.