The watchdogs of India’s communication sector TRAI has said no regulatory interventions on issues related to privacy and security are required for over-the-top (OTT) platforms, dismissing any possibility of potential restrictions on platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp and Google for the time being.  

“It is not an opportune moment to recommend a comprehensive regulatory framework for various aspects of services referred to as OTT services, beyond the extant laws and regulations prescribed presently,” the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said on Monday.  

In TRAI’s views, mandating regulatory interceptions may weaken the protective nature of the communication apps. 

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The crusaders of net neutrality have welcomed the decision with open arms, however, the telecom industry firms’ group Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), who have long lobbied for regulation on apps, said the TRAI had not addressed issues such as regulatory imbalance and non-level playing field between telecoms service providers (TSPs) and OTT communication players, according to Reuters.  

“Without a resolution of these issues, TSPs will continue to be at a disadvantageous position vis-a-vis OTT Communication Service Providers,” COAI director general S P Kochhar said in a statement to Reuters.