The Union government has tightened rules for buying SIM cards, citing a rise in cybercrime, fake SIM misuse and so-called “digital arrest” scams.
Under the updated norms, details of SIM buyers must be verified immediately. Telecom companies have also been instructed to conduct checks and confirm customer identities.
The government has reiterated limits on the number of SIMs an individual can hold. A person can have up to nine SIM cards, while residents of the North Eastern states and Jammu & Kashmir are permitted a maximum of six.
Verification is to be carried out through the Digital Intelligence Platform, the government said, as part of steps to control telecom-enabled fraud.
