India’s new SIM-binding mandate for messaging platforms, which came into effect on 1 March, could fundamentally alter the way millions of citizens access and control their digital identities.

Introduced under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, the directive issued by the Department of Telecommunications requires messaging applications to keep user accounts continuously linked to the physical SIM card used during registration. If the SIM is removed, deactivated, swapped or inactive, access to the account can be blocked until the original SIM is reinserted and verified.

The rule applies to major messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and others that rely on mobile numbers for authentication. While the government says the measure is aimed at curbing cyber fraud and misuse of mobile numbers, the implications for privacy, digital ownership and user autonomy are far-reaching.

Take the example of WhatsApp. Under the new regime, a user cannot access their account if the specific SIM card used during registration is not present in the primary device. In practical terms, this means that access to one’s personal conversations, contacts and digital history becomes dependent on possession of a particular SIM card.

This creates an unusual paradox: the user who created the account, built the contact network and generated the data may no longer have full control over it. Instead, access is effectively determined by the SIM card.

Ironically, even the SIM card itself is not legally owned by the user. Telecom subscribers are technically SIM holders, not SIM owners. The SIM card remains the property of the telecom operator that issued it. Consequently, control over messaging accounts is indirectly tied to infrastructure owned by telecom companies rather than to the........

© National Herald