Private telcos hail DoT’s ‘landmark’ SIM-binding mandate for WhatsApp, Telegram, others

Telcos through their representative body, the Cellular Operators Association of India, said continuous SIM-app linkage will close long-standing loopholes that enabled anonymity and misuse, helping reduce spam, fraudulent communication and financial scams. 

Calling the government’s new SIM-binding mandate a “first-in-the-world regulatory step,” private telecom operators said the move finally delivers the accountability and traceability it has long pushed for on communication apps, a shift the industry body believes will strengthen national security, curb cyber fraud, and restore consumer trust.

Telcos through their representative body, the Cellular Operators Association of India, said continuous SIM-app linkage will close long-standing loopholes that enabled anonymity and misuse, helping reduce spam, fraudulent communication and financial scams.

COAI, which represents Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea also urged the DoT to extend similar compliance requirements across all communication platforms to ensure uniform protection for users.

“This is a much-needed initiative to reinforce consumer trust, accountability and traceability,” said Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI. In a recent directive last week, the DoT ordered platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram to ensure their services stay linked to the specific SIM and mobile number used for verification, preventing apps from functioning if the SIM is removed, replaced or deactivated.

The measure is aimed at stopping the misuse of telecom identifiers and networks, and strengthening cyber-security across India’s communication ecosystem.

Calling the mandate a “first-in-the-world regulatory step,” COAI said it has long advocated SIM-binding for communication apps to enhance national security, fight cyber fraud and build consumer trust. “Such continuous linkage ensures complete accountability and traceability for any activity undertaken by the SIM card and its associated communication app, thereby closing long-persistent gaps that have enabled anonymity and misuse,” the industry association said.

Currently, communication apps verify users only during initial setup through a one-time password (OTP). They continue to work even if the linked SIM is swapped out later — a loophole that, according to COAI, has enabled fraudsters to operate anonymously. The new requirement, the association said, will help create “a more accountable digital environment” by restricting such behaviour.

COAI added that tighter SIM-app linkage would help reduce spam, fraudulent communication and financial scams. Telecom operators, it said, are committed to supporting smooth implementation of the directive.

The industry body also urged the DoT to extend similar compliance requirements to all app-based communication platforms to ensure uniform protection for users.

Additionally, it called on the DoT to engage with the Reserve Bank of India to mandate SMS-based OTPs - described as the most secure and operator-verified authentication channel - as the primary method for financial transactions to strengthen fraud prevention.

Separately, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has also directed smartphone manufacturers to ship every new device in India with a government-developed cybersecurity app that lets users flag scam calls, fraudulent messages, and report stolen phones. The app, created by the DoT, must also be pushed to existing phones through a mandatory software update — and importantly, users should not have the option to uninstall it.