Why a new govt directive means your WhatsApp Web could soon log you out every 6 hours

WhatsApp 6-hour logout: A directive by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to online messaging companies like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram will soon mean that users will no longer be able to access the applications without the SIM card with which they registered for the services on their phones. The directive will also mean that the companion web services, such as WhatsApp Web, will not be available uninterrupted to users, as they will be automatically logged out every six hours. The department has said that the directive is a way to combat rising digital fraud in the country, but many in the industry believe that it will result in erosion of users’ privacy, could pose challenges for users on international travels, and introduce potential friction points in using such services across multiple devices. Telecom companies, however, support the move, opening up yet another frontier of disagreement between them and tech companies. A senior industry executive said that such a level of SIM linkage for communication services does not happen in the same way in other countries. Here is what to know. What is going to change? The government is drawing its regulatory powers from the Telecommunication Cybersecurity Amendment Rules, 2025, which
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