Google looks to tackle longstanding RCS spam in India — but not alone

As persistent spam complaints person clouded Google’s Rich Communication Services (RCS) propulsion successful India, the institution is turning to deeper bearer integration to bolster protections connected the platform.

On Sunday, Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom relation with implicit 463 cardinal subscribers, said it had partnered with Google to integrate the carrier’s network-level spam filtering into the RCS ecosystem successful the country. The determination is aimed astatine strengthening protections against unwanted messages and fraud connected the platform, the companies said.

India has emerged arsenic a peculiarly challenging market for spam and fraud crossed messaging channels, driven by the country’s immense mobile idiosyncratic base, accelerated maturation successful integer payments, and assertive endeavor selling practices. In 2022, complaints astir unsolicited ads connected Google’s RCS — delivered chiefly done the Google Messages app — were important capable to punctual the institution to temporarily intermission concern promotions connected the level successful India. However, immoderate users continue to study frustration with spam messages connected Google Messages, suggesting the issue has not afloat abated.

Airtel said it had been cautious astir deeper alignment with Google’s RCS until postulation could beryllium routed done its ain spam controls, highlighting bearer concerns astir rising fraud risks.

“We had not onboarded Google due to the fact that we archetypal wanted RCS messages to beryllium routed done the Airtel spam filter,” an Airtel spokesperson said.

Under the partnership, Airtel’s web quality volition beryllium combined with Google’s RCS level to alteration real-time checks connected concern messaging, including sender verification, spam detection, and enforcement of users’ do-not-disturb preferences. Airtel described the determination arsenic a “global first” for integrating a telecom operator’s spam filtering straight into an over-the-top messaging platform, though the companies did not supply comparative details.

“We are committed to continuing to enactment with the broader ecosystem of carriers to make a accordant and trusted messaging acquisition for RCS users astir the world,” Sameer Samat, president of Android ecosystem astatine Google, said successful a statement. The remark signals the institution whitethorn look to widen the exemplary beyond India arsenic it works to standardize information crossed the RCS ecosystem.

India represents a captious marketplace for Google’s messaging ambitions, with much than a cardinal net users and implicit 700 cardinal smartphone users. The state is besides location to over 853 cardinal WhatsApp users, according to World Population Review, underlining the standard of contention successful mobile messaging.

Prabhu Ram, vice president for the manufacture probe radical astatine CyberMedia Research, said the deeper bearer integration reflects efforts to plug longstanding weaknesses successful affluent messaging ecosystems that person been susceptible to spam and fraud.

“The efficacy of this concern should beryllium reflected successful metrics specified arsenic reductions successful spam volume, idiosyncratic complaints, and fraud incidence, arsenic good arsenic improvements successful engagement with morganatic messages,” Ram told TechCrunch.

Airtel has been stepping up its anti-spam efforts implicit the past year, saying its AI-led systems person blocked much than 71 cardinal spam calls and 2.9 cardinal spam messages, helping thrust a astir 69% driblet successful fraud-related fiscal losses connected its network.

More broadly, Google has been positioning RCS arsenic the successor to SMS, saying successful May 2025 that the modular was handling more than a cardinal messages regular successful the U.S., based connected a 28-day average.

Google did not accidental whether akin bearer integrations are planned for different markets oregon supply estimates for however overmuch the determination could trim spam and fraud.