India to require WhatsApp and Telegram accounts to stay tied to active SIMs
Original title: WhatsApp and Telegram May Stop Working Without Registered SIM Cards From January 1, 2027
DoT’s deadline is December 31, 2026; how far accounts stop working depends on each app’s implementation.
India’s Department of Telecommunications has ordered messaging services to keep accounts linked to the active SIM of the registered mobile number, with compliance due December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027, WhatsApp and Telegram users in India may face restrictions if that SIM is removed, replaced or deactivated, including on eSIMs. The rules target sessions that keep working after the SIM is gone, which officials say criminals use for cross-border fraud. Platform-specific behavior, including web sessions and linked devices, is not yet uniform.
Unconfirmed: Reports vary on Snapchat and Signal, and verification frequency and restoration steps are not fixed.
- The original directive also named Signal, Snapchat, Arattai, ShareChat, Josh and JioChat.
- Reports differ on whether Snapchat and Signal remain covered.
- A mandatory six-hour web logout was later described as a risk-based approach.
- Secondary phones, tablets and travel SIMs may lose access.
- The rules do not ban specific smartphone models.
- Organizations
- Department of Telecommunications
- Countries
- India
From the original article
2 min read at gbhackers.com
WhatsApp and Telegram users in India may face access restrictions starting January 1, 2027, as messaging platforms implement the government’s SIM-binding requirements. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set December 31, 2026, as the compliance deadline, requiring messaging services to keep accounts linked to the active SIM associated with the registered mobile number. These changes […]
By Divya · gbhackers.com
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