India, Oct. 23 -- The Department of Telecom's new "SIM binding" rules are set to come into effect from January 1, 2027 onwards. Under this, messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram may face access restrictions.

Ahead of the implementation, DoT issued a series of guidelines for messaging platforms to ensure that accounts with a registered SIM card will be allowed to use the services. The deadline for this is December 31, 2026.

Under the new framework, messaging apps that use Indian mobile numbers for registration will have to verify that the registered number is tied to an active SIM card or eSIM present on the device.

These new rules come as a wider effort to combat cybercrime, phishing operations and digital arrest scams.

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