SIM-binding for messaging apps boosts security: COAI

Mon, 01 December 2025

18:35

Industry body COAI on Monday said Telecom Department's move mandating that messaging apps like WhatsApp will work only with an active SIM would bolster national security and safeguard citizens, and pledged telecom operators' commitment to supporting seamless implementation of the latest directive.

Such continuous linkage ensures complete accountability and traceability for any activity undertaken by the SIM card and its associated communication app, "closing long-persistent gaps that have enabled anonymity and misuse", COAI said in a statement.

"COAI welcomes and commends the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for taking a landmark step towards bolstering national security and safeguarding our citizens, by mandating SIM-binding for devices for app-based communication services," S P Kochhar, Director General of COAI, said in a statement.

The comment from the apex body, whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, comes in the backdrop of directions by the government that would ensure app-based communication services, the likes of WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and others, are continuously linked to a user's active SIM card.

All players providing app-based communication services in India have been asked to submit compliance reports to the DoT within 120 days from the issue of the directions (that came on November 28). The department warned that failure to comply with norms will attract action under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, and other applicable laws.

The directive would impact how users access services of messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Arattai, Snapchat, Sharechat, Jiochat, Josh, in India, since it means that these messaging services would only work if the SIM is present and active in the user's device. -- PTI

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