Govt. Mandates SIM-Based Login for WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and Others

Govt. Mandates SIM-Based Login for WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and Others

The Central Government has issued a new order to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, ShareChat, JioChart, Arattai and Josh.

The Department of Telecommunications has ordered these platforms to make sure that users cannot use the messaging platform without an active SIM card. This means that messaging apps will only work if the user’s registered SIM is active. Under “SIM binding”, WhatsApp and other messaging apps will be disabled if the SIM is removed from the mobile phone.

Right now, most messaging apps (like WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) check your mobile number only once when you first install or log in. After that, even if you remove the SIM card or stop using that number, the app still works on your phone.

What is the government saying now?

The government says this system makes it easy for cybercriminals to use someone else’s number to commit fraud. So the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a new rule.

What does the new rule mean?

• Apps must regularly re-verify that the mobile number being used is still active.
• This will make it harder for scammers to use stolen or fake numbers.
• The rule has been implemented immediately, and apps have 90 days to adjust their systems to follow it.

All messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and others, now have to connect every user’s account to the SIM card that person is using. They have 90 days to do this. After they finish, they must send a report within 120 days to prove that they followed the rule.