Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vi say 80% of spam has shifted to OTT

TL;DR: Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea said spam calls and messages have shifted to over-the-top (OTT) communications platforms, with operators estimating that about 80% of spam now moves outside regulated telecom networks.

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea said that about 80% of spam calls and messages have shifted to OTT communications platforms, according to comments reported on 30 May 2025. The operators said fraudsters are using OTT services to bypass controls applied on telecom networks in India.

The operators said their mobile networks are subject to know your customer (KYC) checks, header registration requirements, and AI-based spam filtering. They said these measures operate under rules and oversight linked to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), while OTT applications face lighter regulation.

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea said the regulatory gap allows spam and fraud activity to migrate from traditional telecom channels to internet-based messaging and calling platforms. The report did not name specific OTT applications or set out any new regulatory decision by TRAI.

Related questions

• What did Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea say about spam on OTT platforms?
• Why do Indian telecom operators say spam is moving from telecom networks to OTT apps?
• What anti-spam controls do telecom operators in India say they already use?