The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is set to extend the timeline for messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, ShareChat and Arattai to comply with its SIM linking directive, following requests from companies citing technical challenges, a DoT official said on Sunday, adding that the government now expects compliance by the end of December.
In November 2025, the department had directed application-based communication platforms that use mobile phone numbers to identify the user to ensure that their services remain linked to the SIM card installed in the user’s device, making it impossible to use such applications without an active SIM card. The order was issued to curb misuse of telecom identifiers, including cyber fraud cases originating from outside India.
The guidance also stipulates that web-based versions of these applications must be logged out periodically, at least once every six hours, with users required to re-authenticate, usually through a QR code, to continue access.
“We will be extending compliance deadlines as companies have faced technical challenges, including testing and operating system updates. Companies have sought additional time to address these issues. Compliance will occur in phases. Android is likely to comply first, while iOS faces certain technical limitations that Apple is working to resolve. These restrictions are expected to be resolved by December,” a DoT official said on condition of anonymity.
HT reached out to Apple for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Under the November 2025 Directive, companies were required to comply with the Directive within 90 days, which was by the end of February 2026, and submit a compliance report within 120 days. However, these timelines were not met. Earlier, the DoT had indicated that it was open to compliance by the end of March, but is now considering a longer timeline following requests from platforms.
People familiar with the matter at Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, said the company is working with the Ministry of Transport to find a technically feasible solution. For WhatsApp on Android, SIM linking is currently in beta testing, the people said. They added that as of Thursday, the company had not received an official extension from the government.
Meanwhile, Arattai, developed by Zoho, said it is working with the DoT to address implementation challenges. “We are working closely with DoT to comply with the SIM Linking Directive. During implementation, we encountered some technical challenges that we are currently dealing with,” said Gerry John, Head of Global Products at Arattai. “We have also received additional clarifications from DoT and are incorporating these directives into our update. They have given us a grace period, and we will roll out the necessary updates in the coming weeks to ensure full compliance with the directive.”
“As we implement these changes, our priority is to ensure that the user experience remains largely unchanged, apart from periodic SIM linking checks and implementing risk-based verification procedures in line with DoT guidelines,” he added.
Snapchat, Signal and Telegram did not respond to HT’s request for comment.
This directive has faced opposition from the industry, with many messaging platforms raising concerns about how practical its implementation is and what it will mean for user experience. Enforcing persistent SIM tethering, especially across multiple devices and web logins, will require major changes in how they build their apps, along with coordination with operating system providers, the companies said.
During consultations after the directive, the government was clear that it would go ahead and implement the directive, said TV Ramachandran, president of the Broadband India Forum, a policy think tank that analyzed the directive and submitted its comments on the directive to the transport ministry. He said: “Our main request was that we need more consultations because there are issues that have not been brought to the surface in any discussion. We all support the same issue, and we want to stop cyber fraud. But we need to address them comprehensively.”
