Within hours of the government announcing that Sanchar Saathi would not be mandatory on new smartphones, digital rights campaigner Nikhil Pahwa who was also associated with the Internet Freedom Foundation posted on X asking the Centre to go further.
“The government has issued a press release saying that it isn’t mandatory for handset companies to install Sanchar Saathi. The government has no business infiltrating our phones,” he wrote. Then came the demand to suspend the SIM-binding directive too.
“While this is a welcome move, the other directive for forcing SIM Binding on Social Media and messaging accounts, has NOT been revoked.I would call upon the government to suspend the SIM Binding directive as well, and start a consultation process on this issue, so that they can understand how it limits our usage of messaging apps”, Pahwa wrote on X.
The Centre on Wednesday said it had issued a new notification dropping its earlier directive requiring smartphone makers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi. The announcement followed days of criticism and public anxiety over whether the app could enable intrusive data access.
Before the decision was reported by PTI, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia insisted that Sanchar Saathi “is not a surveillance tool.” Opposition leaders remained unconvinced. Some called it “Pegasus for the common man,” referring to the Israeli spyware that is the subject of a pending Supreme Court case on alleged government use against journalists, activists and Opposition politicians.
But right now, the directive mandating SIM binding for messaging and social-media apps remains unchanged.
Many echoed Pahwa’s concern. They fear the rule will disrupt everyday communication patterns, especially for those who use WhatsApp Web or Telegram across multiple devices, or those who switch SIMs while travelling.
Several posts warned that people may be forced into costlier roaming plans instead of being able to use local SIM cards abroad.
Pahwa cited earlier statements by former telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during the passage of the Telecom Bill, noting that the Department of Telecommunications “has no jurisdiction over the Internet.” He argued that the DoT had “already shown how little they understand how the Internet works” when issuing the Sanchar Saathi order without public consultation. “The same applies to SIM Binding,” he wrote.
The current directives stem from the Telecommunication Cybersecurity Amendment Rules, 2025. These rules bring a new category — the Telecommunication Identifier User Entity (TIUE) — under telecom regulation. TIUEs include any app-based communication service that uses a phone number as an identifier. They are required to verify users through a Mobile Number Validation Platform and ensure that accounts are tied to active SIMs at all times.
The government can also direct TIUEs to stop using specific telecom identifiers for verification.
When the rules were released, policy researchers argued that the TIUE category was too broad. It could cover large platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, but also food-delivery services, ride-hailing apps or even local shops that send receipts by phone.
Reactions on X reflected this unease. “Periodic phone number revalidation, not SIM-binding, might be appropriate,” one user wrote.
Another posted that the directive “would be quashed as unconstitutional” if challenged in court.
One suggested, “SIM binding or not, but WhatsApp, Telegram or any messaging app should not work without a valid SIM”.
A few raised technical objections, arguing that SIM binding was “technically impossible” on Android and iOS without changes by Google or Apple.
The government says the requirement is essential for security.
With cyber-fraud losses exceeding Rs 22,800 crore in 2024, officials argue that linking accounts to live, KYC-verified SIMs would plug gaps exploited in phishing, loan apps, digital arrest scams and cross-border fraud. The Centre has clarified that the direction does not affect users who have their SIM in the handset and are on roaming.
Telecom operators back the proposal. The Cellular Operators Association of India — whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea — says mandatory linkage will ensure accountability for all activity linked to a SIM and close “long-persistent gaps that have enabled anonymity and misuse.” It has also pledged support for implementation.
The pressure from civil society is moving in the opposite direction. Pahwa urged people to support digital-rights groups, comparing the moment to India’s earlier SaveTheInternet campaign for net neutrality. “We’re in this together,” he wrote.