Google has partnered with Bharti Airtel to strengthen protections for Rich Communication Services messaging in India, as complaints over spam and fraud continue to challenge the platform’s adoption in the country.

Airtel, which serves more than 463 million subscribers, said the collaboration integrates its network-level spam filtering directly into the RCS messaging system.

The move is aimed at reducing unwanted messages, fraud attempts, and abuse of business messaging channels.

India has become a difficult market for spam control due to its vast mobile user base, rapid growth in digital payments, and aggressive enterprise marketing.

In 2022, the volume of unsolicited messages on RCS prompted Google to temporarily pause business promotions on the platform.

Under the partnership, real-time sender verification, spam detection, and enforcement of do-not-disturb preferences will be applied before messages reach users.

Airtel said it delayed deeper RCS integration until messages could be routed through its own spam controls.

Google indicated that the model could be extended to other regions as it works with carriers worldwide to create a safer and more consistent messaging experience.

Source: TechCrunch