WhatsApp Access Without SIM Card Extended Until December 31

The government has extended the deadline for the SIM binding rule until December 31. The rule establishes that messaging applications can operate only on smartphones which maintain an active SIM card connection.

The following applications face restrictions from this regulation:

• WhatsApp
• Telegram
• Signal

Sources indicate that the extension came after requests from industry stakeholders. The decision provides additional preparation time to companies which need to implement the upcoming changes.

Changes to Web Version Logout Policy

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has implemented a new logout procedure for all web versions of these applications.

Earlier rule:

• Automatic logout after 6 hours

New rule:

• Logout based on risk analysis

The system uses user behavior patterns together with security threat assessment results to determine when to end a user's active session.