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In a joint effort, the DoT and WhatsApp will partner to help citizens be more vigilant and report suspected fraudulent communications to enhance safety and awareness. The statement said, “The Department of Telecommunications joins forces with WhatsApp to promote ‘Scam Se Bacho,’ Meta’s anti-online scam and spam campaign.” On Monday, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan met with Union Minister of Telecom Jyotiraditya Scindia and they reviewed the progress made so far by the DoT and Meta.
“WhatsApp is working with the Digital Intelligence Unit of DoT and action is being taken based on information provided by DIP to prevent the misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime and financial frauds,” the statement read. The DIP also cross-feeds information with 550 entities that include banks and telecom regulators about the misuse of telecom resources. From within the industry, telecom operators represented by the COAI have been asking that over-the-top service providers, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Google Meet, be subjected to telecom regulations that would require these communication apps to conduct awareness campaigns aimed at reducing scam and spam as telcos are doing.
Regardless, there has been no progress made by the government to solve the issue posed by the telecom operators. The Department of Telecommunications has also initiated steps to curb the abuse of telecom facilities in cybercrime and financial frauds. One of these steps involves putting a caller tune for the purpose of warning people regarding different types of online deception. As part of the collaboration, WhatsApp will also partner with the Department of Tourism to find ways to facilitate the implementation of the Sanchar Saathi programs. "As digital transformation progresses in India, protecting and safeguarding our citizens is one of our foremost priorities. This partnership with Meta further enhances this pledge to protect our citizens against fraudulent messages and cyber attacks.”
Scindia furthered, “Through tapping into WhatsApp’s extensive digital footprint, we are making progress in ensuring that our digital ecosystem is secure and resilient for everyone.” As part of the arrangement, WhatsApp will also create assets that aim to educate users on the proper ways of identifying and reporting online scams and spam. This will include various types of fraud, warning signs, and the Sanchar Saathi’s reporting mechanisms. In a separate statement, WhatsApp explained that all user safety materials will be made available in regional languages to include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Gujarati.
"Prevention for people falling victim to scams and online fraud can be avoided by making sure they know what to look out for and what actions, if any, can be taken to remain safe. On working with the DoT, we can merge our technological know-how with the government’s pledge towards citizen’s safety in order to assist Indians with insightful information needed to protect themselves,” Kaplan stated. Meta launched a high-decibel awareness campaign ‘Scams Se Bacho’ last year in collaboartion with MeitY, I4C and MIB, reinvesting shared effort towards patriot’s alarming issues of scams and cyber frauds in India.
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