New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- WhatsApp, Telegram and other messaging apps may face new access restrictions in India as the government prepares to implement SIM-binding rules from January 1, 2027. The DoT has issued guidelines that require the covered platforms to integrate the accounts with the live SIMs used for the registration by December 31, 2026. The rules are to prevent cyber frauds using Indian mobile numbers.

The new regulation requires that the messaging services make sure accounts are associated with the registered SIM card that is installed in the device. This may impact the users of WhatsApp or Telegram over Wi-Fi without their registered SIM and those who use more than one device and who often change their SIM. The DoT has issued th...