Relief for apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, DoT extended the deadline for SIM binding

Desk. The Department of Telecommunications has extended the deadline for SIM binding, giving relief to social media and instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram. Recently the government had asked to make SIM binding mandatory to prevent digital fraud and identity misuse. This rule was notified last year in November 2025, which social media companies were directed to implement in the next 90 days. However, the government has now extended its deadline.

According to the report, the Department of Telecommunications has now given the deadline to implement this rule by the end of 2026. The purpose of SIM binding is to ensure that social media and instant messaging, dating apps etc. identify users through their mobile number and SIM. Just as banking and UPI apps work only on the device in which the SIM of that mobile number is installed, similarly social media and instant messaging platforms will also have to be verified.

Social media platforms like Meta, Telegram, Signal told the Department of Telecommunications that there are many technical problems in implementing it, due to which it may take time to make it fully operational. According to the report, the government has decided to extend the deadline for its implementation on the request of social media platforms.

Social media platforms told DoT that this feature is not easy to implement. For this, technical changes will also be required in the mobile operating system. Operating system manufacturing companies Apple and Google had also asked the Department of Telecommunications to extend the deadline for changes in the operating system. Before implementing this feature, its thorough testing is necessary, which requires more time.

Companies like Meta, Snapchat, Telegram are working together with DoT to enable the SIM binding feature. According to the report, WhatsApp has started working on this feature. In this, the app will confirm to the user that the SIM card of his mobile number is present in the same phone in which he has created the account or the app is being used. This feature of WhatsApp is currently in the internal beta testing phase and soon its public beta version may be available for testing.

Similarly, companies making mobile operating systems can release a patch related to this feature for their OS, after which platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram will be able to verify with the user that the mobile number with which he is using the account is the SIM installed in the same device.