Big Tech calls SIM binding rules 'unconstitutional', urges urgent review

• Broadband India Forum (BIF), representing Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, has written to DOT Secretary Amit Agarwal.
• BIF terms the Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Amendment Rules, 2025, and SIM binding directions as unconstitutional and beyond the scope of the Telecom Act.
• The SIM binding rules mandate app-based communication services to be continuously linked to a mobile SIM card, making services like WhatsApp or Telegram unusable without an active SIM.
• Messaging apps would also be required to log out web-based services on laptops and PCs every 6 hours.
• BIF argues the rules conflict with existing laws like the IT Act and DPDP Act, creating regulatory overlap and jurisdictional conflicts.