WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal Won’t Function Without Active SIM Card Soon — What DoT New Directives Say

New Delhi: People using online messaging or communication Apps including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, ShareChat, JioChat, Arattai, and Josh among others will soon not be able to use them unless the user has an active SIM card in their device, according to a new directives issued by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT).The government in this new directive has asked these platforms not to allow users to use their services without having an active SIM card in their device.All players providing app-based communication services in India have been asked to submit compliance reports to the DoT within 120 days from issue of the directions.The department warned that failure to comply with norms will attract action under the Telecommunications

Act, 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, and other applicable laws.The directives are part of the amendments to the Telecommunication Cyber Security (TCS) Amendment Rules, 2025. Under the new amended rules, these Apps have been classified as Telecommunication Identifier User Entities (TIUEs).Issuing the direction on November 28, the telecom department said it has come to the notice of the central government that some of the app-based communication services that are utilising mobile number for identification of its customers/users or for provisioning or delivery of services, allows users to consume their services without availability of the underlying SIM within the device in which the said platform or app is running."...and this feature is posing challenge to telecom cyber security as it is being misused from outside the country to commit cyber-frauds," it said.The DoT asserted it has become necessary to issue directions to providers of app-based communication services to prevent the misuse of telecommunication identifiers and to "safeguard the integrity and security of the telecom ecosystem".

Web Login To Expire in Every Six Hours

In another change, the above mentioned services if logged in into devices via a web browser will log out automatically for users in every six hours and require re-authentication via a QR code.The new directives have been issued to make it hard for the criminals and frauds to exploit these services remotely.The TCS Amendment Rules, 2025, notified in October, introduced new frameworks intended to strengthen India's cyber resilience and enhance security around telecom identifiers amid their growing use across banking, e-commerce and governance platforms.According to DoT, the amendments address critical vulnerabilities stemming from the rapid integration of mobile numbers, IMEIs and other telecom identifiers into digital services.The updated rules focus on improving traceability, accountability and the overall security architecture of digital transactions.Another key change is the institutionalisation of a mobile number validation (MNV) platform, aimed at curbing mule accounts and identity fraud.The platform will allow service providers to verify whether the mobile number used by a customer genuinely belongs to the individual whose credentials are on record.To tackle the growing challenge of stolen, cloned or blacklisted devices circulating in the resale market, the rules mandate 'Resale Device Scrubbing'.Entities dealing in second-hand or refurbished phones must now check every device's IMEI number against a centralised blacklist before resale.The DoT said this would protect consumers and help law enforcement agencies track stolen equipment.The amendment also defines Telecom Identifier User Entities (TIUEs), entities across sectors that rely on telecom identifiers, and places regulated obligations on them to share telecom-identifier data with the government under specific circumstances.This is expected to improve coordination in tackling cyber fraud while ensuring compliance with data protection norms.The ministry said these measures collectively aim to safeguard India's digital ecosystem from telecom-enabled fraud, strengthen device traceability and ensure responsible use of telecom identifiers.The DoT further clarified that while the TCS Amendment Rules were inadvertently republished on October 29, 2025, the error has been rectified through a fresh notification, dated November 25, 2025.The correction rescinds the unintended re-publication but does not affect the enforceability of the original amendments.With inputs from PTI, ANI