India, Oct. 27 -- A new study by the Esya Centre, a New Delhi-based technology policy think tank, has cautioned that the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) SIM-binding directive could disrupt consumers' access to messaging services, raise costs for small businesses and do little to curb cyberfraud.

In November 2025, the DoT directed internet-based messaging applications to ensure that users' accounts remain linked to their registered SIM cards, under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024. The rules are set to take effect from January 1, 2027, Gadgets360 reported.

The directive also initially required automatic logout from web sessions every six hours, a requirement later replaced with risk-based logouts, the study said.

The study...