New Delhi, April 2 Communication service apps are required to report compliance with SIM-binding rules by December 31, Parliament was informed on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Telecom, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, said that the web services of mobile apps are required to be logged out based on risk analysis, and the government has not specified a specific timeframe for this.
"The government has directed certain app-based communication service providers to link the SIM card (associated with the mobile number used for identifying customers/users or for providing services) present in the customer/user's device with the relevant communication service apps, and has specified the deadline for compliance as December 31, 2026," the minister said.
Previously, the deadline for compliance was March 28, 2026.
The SIM-binding rule mandates that messaging platforms can only provide their services on a mobile device if an active SIM is present.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) had previously mandated that users from active sessions of web versions of apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc., be logged out after six hours.