– Egypt’s NTRA mandates telemarketers to register their phone numbers in a special database within one month to facilitate spam call identification for users.
– Recipients will soon receive “NTRA Alert” notifications for marketing calls, allowing them to decide whether to answer or ignore these calls, with a reporting mechanism in place for non-compliant calls.
– While unsolicited marketing calls are not yet illegal, the NTRA’s new regulations could lead to fines or imprisonment if spam calling is classified as a cybercrime.
The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has announced that telemarketers have one month to register their phone numbers in a newly established database. This move aims to help users identify and screen spam calls more effectively.
Mobile numbers used for marketing purposes must now be registered within this special database.
This will allow recipients to receive alerts about potential spam calls from either their service provider or the NTRA before answering. The NTRA detailed this new measure in a recent statement.
Telemarketing companies and mobile operators have been given a one-month deadline to comply with the new regulations. Failure to do so will result in “legal and regulatory measures” against violators, as stated in the NTRA’s release.
Once the system is in place, users will start seeing an “NTRA Alert” for incoming marketing calls, providing them with the choice to answer or ignore these calls. If a marketing call does not come with this alert, users are encouraged to report it to their mobile operator, the NTRA call center via hotline 155, or through the authority’s website or application.
Some users have already begun receiving these alerts for marketing calls, offering a preview of what the new system will look like.
While unsolicited marketing calls have not yet been criminalized, there is potential for offenders to face fines or prison time if the NTRA adds spam calling to the list of cybercrimes, according to Ahmed Refaat, former deputy of the House Communication Committee.
This initiative represents a significant step towards enhancing consumer protection and regulating telemarketing practices in Egypt.
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