New Delhi, Dec 01: The Union government has directed major messaging and social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, ShareChat, JioChat, Arattai and Josh, to restrict access to users who do not have an active SIM card linked to their device. The mandate forms part of the newly introduced Telecommunication Cybersecurity Amendment Rules, 2025, which extend telecom-style oversight to app-based communications for the first time.
As per the rules, platforms classified as Telecommunication Identifier User Entities must ensure a continuous bond between a user’s SIM card and the communication service. The verification process must be completed within a 90-day compliance window.
Officials said the step aims to close gaps in current verification systems. Apps presently authenticate a mobile number only during initial setup and continue functioning even if the SIM is removed, changed or deactivated. Authorities warn that such loopholes enable misuse, allowing app-based communication to continue even when telecom credentials no longer match the user.
The Cellular Operators Association of India has raised concerns that offenders, including those operating from abroad, exploit this mismatch to evade detection. With SIM-less usage, call records, tower-based location data and telecom metadata fail to align with corresponding app activity, complicating fraud-related investigations. Binding apps to SIM cards, the industry body contends, will restore traceability and curb spam, scam calls and financial deception.
Officials also referenced parallel safeguards across other sectors. Banking and UPI platforms regularly verify SIM status to block unauthorized access, while market regulator SEBI has proposed linking SIM cards to trading accounts with additional facial recognition checks.
Expert reaction, however, remains divided. Cybersecurity analysts caution that bad actors may still obtain SIM cards using falsified or borrowed documents, leaving room for manipulation despite tighter rules. Telecom stakeholders counter that mobile numbers continue to serve as one of the most dependable digital identifiers in the country and argue that extending SIM-based checks to messaging services will strengthen cybersecurity and public accountability.
The new regulations mark a pronounced shift in the oversight of digital communication, placing internet-based messaging more firmly under the national security and regulatory lens.
