Last week, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper discussing regulatory mechanisms for Over-The-Top (OTT) communication services and the selective banning of OTT services.
This isn’t the first time TRAI has tried to regulate messaging and calling apps – in fact, it has been attempting to do so ever since 2015. The regulation of these services, especially the implementation of a policy on selective blocking of messaging and calling apps, could effectively hamper net neutrality and freedom of speech by restricting equal access to different apps or sites by making it easier for the government to shut down specific internet services.
In this MediaNama Briefing, we will delve deep into the proposed regulation, its historical context, and its implications for net neutrality and Internet Shutdowns.
Title: Regulation of Online Calling & Messaging Services
Date: July 14 (Friday) 2023
Time: 3:30 pm
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What we will cover
- How does the consultation paper define calling & messaging services?
- The current regulatory burden on these services.
- What have the previous attempts at regulation looked like?
- Impact of such regulations on Internet freedom.
- Impact of online calling and messaging services on traditional Telecom service providers.
The session will begin at 3:30 pm IST with a presentation, followed by a Q&A session, in which attendees can ask questions and/or debate issues.
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