India mandates continuous SIM binding for WhatsApp and Telegram
India’s telecom ministry issued directions on November 28 requiring WhatsApp and other messaging apps to link accounts continuously to active SIM cards and enforce periodic logouts on web and desktop versions to curb cyber-fraud losses exceeding ₹228 billion in 2024.
The directions target app-based communication services including WhatsApp from Meta, Telegram, and Signal. Providers must comply within 90 days from the issuance date. Accounts remain tied to the SIM card used at sign-up. Web and desktop versions log users out every six hours. Users regain access by re-linking devices via a QR code. These requirements ensure ongoing connection to a verified phone number.
The telecom ministry explained the purpose in a press release. “Mandatory continuous SIM–device binding and periodic logout ensure that every active account and web session is anchored to a live, KYC‑verified SIM, restoring traceability of numbers used in phishing, investment, digital arrest, and loan scams,” the ministry stated. KYC refers to Know Your Customer verification processes linked to SIM cards in India. The measures address scams involving impersonation and fraudulent financial schemes prevalent in the country.
Government clarifications specify exemptions. The rules do not apply when the SIM remains in the device and the user is roaming. This provision accommodates travelers keeping their primary phone active abroad without triggering logouts or re-linking.
WhatsApp faces the most substantial effects among affected apps. Over 500 million people in India use the platform. Usage patterns show deep integration into daily routines. Sensor Tower data for November indicates 94% of WhatsApp’s Indian monthly active users opened the app daily. For WhatsApp Business users in India, the figure stands at 67%. These rates exceed those in other markets. In the United States, 59% of WhatsApp monthly users opened the app daily, with 57% for WhatsApp Business users.
Indian merchants depend heavily on WhatsApp Business for operations. This smartphone-based version suits small enterprises. They register accounts on SIM-linked phones. Customer interactions occur through web or desktop clients on separate devices. Unlike larger firms using WhatsApp Business APIs for automated systems integrated with customer relationship management tools, small businesses rely on the standard WhatsApp Business app and its web interface. Mandatory SIM binding combined with six-hour logouts disrupts order-taking processes. Customer support exchanges suffer interruptions. Engagement workflows break during re-authentication steps.
WhatsApp has developed features to support such usage. The platform expanded multi-device capabilities. Companion-device options allow logins across phones, browsers, and computers. Users and businesses operate without a single active smartphone online at all times. Primary phone verification occurs initially, followed by independent sessions on linked devices.
These regulatory directions coincide with changes in WhatsApp’s India performance. The platform shifted from rapid user acquisition to retention of existing base. Sensor Tower data shows monthly active users on mobile devices in India increased 6% year-over-year in the fourth quarter to date. Downloads declined nearly 49% over the same period. Abraham Yousef, senior insights analyst at Sensor Tower, described the trend. “It could be fair to say that user (MAU) growth for WhatsApp in India across the past few years has been driven more by retention (successfully re‑engaging existing or previous users) than acquiring new users,” Yousef said.
Longer-term comparisons confirm the pattern. Relative to late 2022, WhatsApp monthly active users in India rose 24%. Downloads fell 14% over that span. Sensor Tower provided these estimates based on market intelligence tracking.
WhatsApp Business contributes significantly to recent growth. Appfigures data reveals more estimated first-time installs for WhatsApp Business than WhatsApp Messenger in India since early 2024. This shift highlights merchant adoption as a key driver. Randy Nelson, head of insights at Appfigures, noted usage practices. Merchants maintain separate WhatsApp identities for personal and business communication. Dual-SIM phones enable this separation. A single business generates multiple installs across staff phones and shop devices.
Sensor Tower data supports accelerated Business app growth. WhatsApp Business monthly active users in India increased more than 130% compared to 2021 levels. This outpaces WhatsApp Messenger’s roughly 34% growth over the same period. Late 2025 estimates show year-over-year gains continuing for Business monthly active users.
Engagement metrics vary by app and region. Indian users opened WhatsApp daily and averaged 38 minutes per day in November. WhatsApp Business users in India spent an average of 27 minutes daily. In the United States, WhatsApp usage averaged 23 minutes per day, while WhatsApp Business reached 27 minutes. Sensor Tower estimates underpin these figures, reflecting time spent within the apps.
Industry representatives expressed concerns. The Broadband India Forum (BIF), with members including Meta, issued a statement last week. The measures could result in “material inconvenience and service disruption on ordinary users,” BIF said. They also raise “serious questions of technical feasibility.” BIF represents digital platforms operating in India.
The directions rely on a specific regulatory classification. They introduce Telecommunication Identifier User Entities (TIUEs) under India’s telecom cybersecurity rules. This places messaging apps within the telecom framework. Previously, such apps fell under the Information Technology Act. The shift occurs through executive directions rather than formal legislation. Kazim Rizvi, founding director of The Dialogue think tank in New Delhi, analyzed the basis. “The directions derive their power not from statute but from delegated legislation,” Rizvi told TechCrunch. “Moreover, the lack of public consultations or technical working groups risks creating compliance friction without addressing the underlying fraud vectors.” Rizvi highlighted potential issues in implementation and effectiveness.
Tech policy experts assess legal options. Companies like Meta have limited avenues for court challenges. Dhruv Garg, tech policy advisor and partner at the Indian Governance and Policy Project, outlined requirements. Challengers must demonstrate the directions exceed the underlying law’s scope. Alternatively, they must prove violations of constitutional protections. Garg described this as a high threshold in the current context.