WhatsApp is facing heightened regulatory pressure in India after new government directions ordered messaging apps to stay continuously linked to an active SIM card, a move officials say targets cyber fraud but critics warn could disrupt daily communication and small-business operations across the country.
The directions, issued on November 28 and made public earlier this month, require certain app-based communication services to maintain persistent SIM-based authentication and impose tighter controls on how accounts function across multiple devices. The Indian government says the measures are necessary to improve traceability and reduce digital fraud, while digital rights groups and industry bodies argue the rules could interfere with legitimate use at massive scale.
New Rules Target SIM Linking and Multi-Device Access
Under the directions, messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal must ensure that accounts remain tied to the SIM card used during sign-up. Users accessing these services via web or desktop clients are required to log out every six hours and re-link their accounts using a QR code to continue using the service.
The telecom ministry said in a press release earlier this month that “mandatory continuous SIM–device binding and periodic logout ensure that every active account and web session is anchored to a live, KYC-verified SIM,” adding that India recorded cyber-fraud losses exceeding ₹228 billion, or about $2.5 billion, in 2024.
The government has clarified that the rules do not apply when a SIM remains in the device and the user is roaming.
WhatsApp Faces the Greatest Impact
Although the directions apply broadly, their impact is expected to be most pronounced on WhatsApp, which has more than 500 million users in India. The platform’s integration into daily life in the country is deeper than in most markets.
Sensor Tower data shared with TechCrunch shows that 94% of WhatsApp’s Indian monthly active users opened the app daily in November, while 67% of WhatsApp Business users did the same. In comparison, 59% of WhatsApp’s monthly users in the United States opened the app daily, alongside 57% for WhatsApp Business.
Small Businesses Could See Workflow Disruptions
Many small merchants in India rely on WhatsApp Business, a smartphone-based app designed for small enterprises. These businesses typically register their accounts on SIM-linked phones but manage customer conversations through WhatsApp’s web or desktop clients on separate devices.
Unlike larger companies that use WhatsApp’s Business APIs for automated and CRM-linked messaging, small businesses depend on the web interface for tasks such as order-taking, customer support, and follow-ups. Mandatory SIM binding combined with forced six-hour logouts could interrupt these workflows and reduce reliability for merchants.
Tension With WhatsApp’s Product Direction
The rules arrive as WhatsApp has been expanding its multi-device and companion-device features, allowing users to stay logged in across phones, browsers, and other devices without needing a single active smartphone connection.
At the same time, WhatsApp’s growth in India has shifted toward retaining existing users rather than rapidly adding new ones. Sensor Tower data shows WhatsApp’s monthly active users in India are up 6% year over year in the fourth quarter to date, even as downloads have fallen nearly 49%.
Compared with late 2022, monthly active users are up 24%, while downloads are down 14%, according to the firm.
“It could be fair to say that user (MAU) growth for WhatsApp in India across the past few years has been driven more by retention than acquiring new users,” said Abraham Yousef, senior insights analyst at Sensor Tower.
Business Adoption Drives Growth
Data from Appfigures indicates that WhatsApp Business has recorded more estimated first-time installs than WhatsApp Messenger in India since early 2024. Randy Nelson, head of insights at Appfigures, said this reflects merchant-driven adoption, where businesses often maintain separate WhatsApp identities for personal and customer communication.
Dual-SIM phones are common, and a single business can generate multiple installs across staff and devices, contributing to higher install counts.
Sensor Tower data shows WhatsApp Business monthly active users in India are up more than 130% compared with 2021, while WhatsApp Messenger users grew about 34% over the same period.
Engagement patterns also differ by market. Indian users spent an average of 38 minutes per day on WhatsApp in November, compared with 27 minutes on WhatsApp Business. In the U.S., users spent about 23 minutes on WhatsApp and 27 minutes on WhatsApp Business.
Industry and Policy Concerns Over Legal Basis
In a statement last week, the Broadband India Forum, whose members include Meta, said the measures could cause “material inconvenience and service disruption on ordinary users” and raised concerns about technical feasibility.
Kazim Rizvi, founding director of public policy think tank The Dialogue, said the rules rely on a contested classification of Telecommunication Identifier User Entities under India’s telecom cybersecurity framework. That classification places messaging apps within telecom regulation rather than under the country’s IT Act, using executive directions instead of formal legislation.
“The directions derive their power not from statute but from delegated legislation,” Rizvi told TechCrunch, adding that the lack of public consultation risks compliance challenges without directly addressing fraud mechanisms.
India’s telecom ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Limited Legal Options for Platforms
According to tech policy experts, companies such as Meta may have limited ability to challenge the directions in court. Dhruv Garg, a tech policy advisor and partner at the Indian Governance and Policy Project, said legal challenges would require proving that the directions exceed the scope of existing law or violate constitutional protections, a threshold that may be difficult to meet.
Messaging platforms have 90 days from the November 28 issuance to comply with the new requirements.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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