New Delhi: The Indian authorities has introduced a brand new directive that might considerably change how hundreds of thousands use messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Sign, Snapchat, ShareChat, JioChat, Arattai, and Josh. As per experiences, the Division of Telecommunications (DoT) has instructed these platforms to make sure their providers can’t be accessed except the consumer has an lively SIM card of their machine.
This directive is a part of the Telecommunication Cybersecurity Modification Guidelines, 2025, which, for the primary time, place app-based communication providers below rules much like telecom operators. Underneath these guidelines, apps — now formally referred to as Telecommunication Identifier Consumer Entities (TIUEs) should hold a consumer’s SIM card linked to the app repeatedly inside a 90-day interval.
For customers preferring accessing these apps via internet browsers, an added safety step has been launched. Platforms will now have to mechanically log customers out each six hours, requiring them to register once more utilizing a QR code. The DoT says this technique will make it tougher for criminals to misuse these providers remotely, as each session should be tied to an lively and verified SIM, as per the experiences.
Officers say the rule goals to shut a significant hole in how communication apps confirm customers. At current, most apps solely confirm a cell quantity as soon as — throughout set up. After that, the app continues working even when the SIM is eliminated or turns into inactive.
In line with experiences, the Mobile Operators Affiliation of India (COAI) highlighted that this conduct permits apps to perform independently of SIM playing cards, which creates alternatives for misuse. Cybercriminals, together with these working from exterior India, are identified to use this loophole. Even after altering or deactivating SIM playing cards, they’ll proceed utilizing these apps, making it extraordinarily troublesome for authorities to hint fraud via name data, location logs, or telecom information.
The COAI stated that making SIM binding obligatory would hold a dependable hyperlink between the consumer, the quantity, and the machine, which might assist scale back spam, fraud calls, and monetary scams. Related safety checks exist already in different sectors. Banking and UPI apps require strict SIM verification to forestall unauthorized entry, whereas SEBI has proposed linking SIM playing cards to buying and selling accounts and utilizing facial recognition for added safety.
Specialists, nevertheless, are divided on the problem. Some cybersecurity professionals informed MediaNama that the transfer could have restricted affect, as scammers can nonetheless use cast or borrowed IDs to get new SIM playing cards. However, telecom business representatives argue that cell numbers stay India’s strongest digital identification and imagine the brand new guidelines might strengthen cybersecurity and accountability.