India regulator TRAI rolls out 2026 AI spam call rules
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is rolling out new rules in 2026 to crack down on spam calls, and this time, they're letting AI do the heavy lifting.
Telecom operators will have to act fast when AI flags a suspected spammer, even if nobody complains.
First-time offenders get a 15-day outgoing call ban, while repeat spammers could have all telecom resources, including PRI/SIP trunks, SIMs, etc. of the sender disconnected for one year and get blacklisted for one year.
Flagged calls shared within 2 hours
If someone's flagged as a potential spammer, the details of the flagged calls will be shared within two hours and the originating access provider will identify the sender's unique KYC identifiers within one business day.
Get caught five or more times in 10 days? Your number gets a 15-day bar on outgoing services (but emergency calls still work).
Also, your call-blocking preferences will move over to the new system within 15 days of the notification, and the amended rule will be implemented in phases 30-90 days from the date of notification.
One thing to note: Apps can't block government-designated numbers by default, but you can still block them manually if needed.
All in all, these changes are meant to make your phone experience less annoying and more private.