TRAI mandates pre‑tagging of variables in SMS content templates to curb fraud
New Delhi, Nov. 18 – The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has told every mobile operator and message‑service provider that it must require “pre‑tagging” for every variable part of SMS templates used in commercial messages.
Pre‑tagging means that spots in a template—like a URL, an app download link or a callback number—must be explicitly labeled before the template can be approved. For instance, a sender would tag a field as #url# to show that it will hold a website address. This labeling lets the platform automatically detect and filter any unapproved links or numbers.
The move follows investigation findings that fraudsters inserted malicious URLs and phishing phone numbers into approved templates because there were no pre‑defined tags to flag them. Without such tags, operators cannot verify whether the content belongs to trusted domains or numbers.
TRAI says that the new rule will help operators scrub messages more effectively, giving strict control over the variable fields and keeping spam and phishing at bay. Influenced by the need for greater transparency, TRAI requires both access providers and the principal entities that create and register templates to finish the pre‑tagging process within 60 days.
After the deadline, any message sent with a template that isn’t fully pre‑tagged will be rejected and never delivered. This step is part of India’s broader push to tighten its anti‑spam and anti‑fraud framework.
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