New SIM Binding Rules Change How Indians Use WhatsApp And Telegram Daily

New Delhi[India] November 30: The new SIM binding rules have created strong talk across India. People are now reading the notification again and again because it changes daily habits. India has seen many steps in telecom safety since the early 2000s. Back then, people needed papers to buy SIM cards. Later online KYC came. These new rules are the next step. The government says the change is needed because cyber fraud cases have grown fast. Many fraud calls and messages came from outside India. This created fear for many families.

Why These New SIM Rules Were Issued

The government has shared that many messaging apps were used without the SIM card inside the phone. This allowed people to run WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal even after removing the SIM. Officials say this made cyber crime easy. Some frauds were done from outside India. Hackers used Indian numbers to cheat people. The Telecom Cyber Security Rules were made in 2024. They are updated again in 2025. The new rules will now stop misuse of mobile numbers. The rules are now active across the country.

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How The New SIM Binding Will Work

The new rule says that within ninety days apps must stay linked to the active SIM in the phone. This means a person cannot use WhatsApp on a phone that has another SIM. If the SIM is removed the app will stop. Web versions will also logout every six hours. Users must scan the QR code again. This is to stop misuse on laptops. Many people used WhatsApp Web for long hours. Now they will see more logouts. The system will check the active SIM often. The rules will remain active until the DoT changes them.

Responsibility Of WhatsApp Telegram And Other Apps

The Department of Telecommunications has called these apps Telecommunication Identifier User Entities. They must follow all orders fully. They must send a compliance report within one hundred and twenty days. If they do not follow the rules they will face action. The government may use the Telecom Act 2023 and Cyber Security Rules 2024 for action. App companies must now upgrade their systems. They must make sure a mobile number is used only with its active SIM. They must also find new ways to prevent misuse.

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Government View On Security And Misuse

The DoT has said that many criminals used app features in a wrong way. They used Indian numbers from outside the country. They did cyber fraud using old login sessions. The DoT says this was a big risk for the telecom system. Meetings with major app companies were held for many months. The government has said the rules were needed. They want to protect digital users. They want to keep the telecom network safe. The new order is meant to stop rising cyber fraud and keep Indian users more secure in future.