Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone-Idea to WhatsApp, Snapchat and others – Times of India

Late last month, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) gave messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Snapchat 90 days to enforce ‘SIM-binding’. With ‘SIM-binding’ in force, these apps will stop working if users remove SIM card originally used for registration. The directive, that will go into effect starting effective February 2026, also mandates that web versions of these apps log out users every six hours, requiring fresh authentication via QR code. India’s biggest telecom body, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) — whose members include Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea — welcomed the new DoT guidelines and congratulated the government on the same. COAI said that making SIM binding mandatory would keep a reliable link between the user, the number, and the device, which could help reduce spam, fraud calls, and financial scams. However, Broadband India Forum or BIF, which represents major technology companies such as WhatsApp parent Meta, Google and others, has termed ‘SIM-binding’ guidelines as “problematic”. BIF along with Internet and Mobile Association of India, representing Meta and other digital companies have claimed that no feasibility study or consultation was conducted before these directions were issued. Critics question whether ‘SIM-binding’ will effectively curb fraud, since many scammers
Read More