Overview
- The Department of Telecommunications plans to push back compliance and now expects phased implementation by December 2026, with a formal order expected shortly.
- The rule, called SIM binding, keeps messaging accounts tied to an active SIM in the phone and forces web versions to log out every six hours to curb fraud that exploits inactive or foreign numbers.
- The directive was issued in November 2025 with a 90-day compliance window and a 120-day reporting deadline, but companies missed the late-February cutoff.
- Companies cite technical limits in mobile operating systems, with Android likely to meet the requirement first as Apple works on iOS changes.
- WhatsApp is testing SIM binding on Android in beta, and Zoho’s Arattai says it received a grace period and will release updates in the coming weeks.