Overview
- The Department of Telecommunications has directed covered messaging platforms to keep accounts linked to the active SIM, setting a compliance deadline of December 31, 2026 with the rules to take effect on January 1, 2027.
- Under the requirement an app must stop working if the registered SIM is removed, replaced, or deactivated until a valid SIM or eSIM with the same number is restored, and the DoT named services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, ShareChat, JioChat, Arattai and Josh.
- Companies are already making technical changes to comply, with reports of an Apple iOS update in September to detect absent SIMs and WhatsApp testing SIM‑binding on Android while Signal has not publicly responded to notices.
- Many common user setups could be affected depending on platform design, including Wi‑Fi‑only devices, linked multi‑device sessions, tablets and laptops using web clients, frequent SIM changers, roaming users and those on eSIM‑only devices.
- The DoT has replaced a blanket six‑hour web‑logout rule with risk‑based logouts, leaving enforcement choices and cross‑border tracing to platforms and regulators and creating a trade‑off between reducing fraud and avoiding service disruption for legitimate users.