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 binding directive. The government is now expecting compliance by December-end.
The directive was issued in November 2025 to curb misuse of telecom identifiers, including instances of cyber fraud originating from outside India. Companies were required to comply within 90 days, but these timelines were not met.
A DoT official said that the compliance will happen in a phased manner, with Android likely to comply first, while iOS faces certain technical constraints. An order formalising the extension is expected shortly.
People aware of the matter at Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said the company is working with the DoT to find a technically feasible solution. Arattai, developed by Zoho, also said it is working with the DoT to address implementation challenges.
