Media: Anti-Spam Measures Lead to Blocking of Business Calls
New anti-spam regulations that took effect on September 1 are causing widespread disruption to business communications. According to media reports, telecom operators—acting under legal requirements to limit spam calls—have begun blocking all calls from commercial organizations, leaving banks, developers, and market research firms scrambling to move customer interactions to other channels.
Who Is Affected
- Kommersant reports that market research companies have been particularly hard hit. For these firms, calling citizens remains one of the primary methods of gathering public opinion data.
A source in the banking sector told the outlet that operators are blocking all calls from legal entities—including banks’ customer service calls and even verification code calls.
“Currently, there is no official definition of a ‘mass call,’ and anything can fall under the ban. Each operator defines and interprets this themselves,” the source explained.
Regulators and Operators Respond
The Ministry of Digital Development defended the measures, noting that mass calls are often used to push dubious services or enable fraud. The ministry added that calls from government authorities and their subordinate organizations are not subject to blocking.
“Operators have technical solutions for ‘smart’ filtering, which allows them to block calls from legal entities and individual entrepreneurs selectively,” the ministry said.
Telecom operators, however, say they have little choice but to act broadly.
- MegaFon explained that the law does not distinguish types of mass calls; operators are “obliged to block all calls that are identified as mass.”
- T2 (RTKOM) added that the ban applies to both mass and automated calls. “We warn customers that useful calls from banks and organizations may fall under it,” the company stated, noting that customers can set the block via a request in a service store or through a chatbot.
Impact on Businesses
The consequences are already visible:
- T-Bank reported that all of its calls were blocked. In response, it began shifting communications to IP telephony integrated into its mobile applications.
Market researchers warn the law threatens their ability to collect timely data.
“In its current form, the law certainly poses huge risks to the entire research industry in Russia,” said Valery Fedorov, Director General of VTsIOM. “Telephone surveys are not the only method, but they are the ones that allow us to keep a finger on the pulse and quickly get feedback from citizens.”
Risks and Adaptation
Experts warn of broader risks.
“A key risk is the deterioration of the customer experience, which leads to customer loss. Consumers will go where alternative, convenient, and reliable communication channels are established,” said Anton Mertsalov, senior manager of the cybersecurity practice at TAdO (part of KPMG).
According to him, organizations may need to shift strategies toward secure digital channels such as web chats, messengers, and in-app push notifications.
