The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India has mandated that messaging apps can only operate with active SIM cards linked to users' phone numbers to combat rising fraud. The mandate takes effect from 2025-12-03 and aims to prevent misuse of Indian mobile numbers without the presence of a SIM card.
Policy Changes and Enforcement
According to the DoT, apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Snapchat will need to implement SIM-device binding within 90 days and report compliance within 120 days. Additionally, web and desktop sessions must auto-logout every six hours, requiring periodic re-authentication. This does not apply to native mobile apps, aiming to enhance security without disrupting user experience.
Fraud Prevention Efforts
The amendment to the 2024 Telecom Cyber Security Rules aims to combat cross-border cyber-fraud by closing loopholes used in phishing, loan, and investment scams. By linking apps to active SIMs, authorities intend to improve traceability and reduce losses, which exceeded ₹22,800 crore in 2024. Users with roaming SIMs will not be affected by this change.
The policy extension applies banking-style device-binding practices to communication apps to curb identifier misuse, ensuring greater trust in digital communications.
