False documentation to obtain SIM cards or use OTT services will result in a Rs. 50,000 fine and a year in jail. According to the terms of the draught Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022, providing false documentation to obtain a mobile sim card or faking your identity on over-the-top (OTT) platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, or Telegram might result in imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
Details about False documentation to obtain SIM cards or use OTT services will result in a Rs. 50,000 fine and a year in jail:
To safeguard telecom customers from online fraud and criminal acts, the draught Bill includes recommended sanctions. Cyber criminals have been known to call potential victims while hiding their identities on OTT apps by obtaining SIM cards using fraudulent documentation.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has made the draught of the proposed telecom bill available for public consultation and is seeking input from a variety of stakeholders. The DoT clarified that the aforesaid security measures were required to assist telecom customers in recognising the person or entity contacting the call recipients.
“This will aid in the prevention of telecom-related cyber fraud. As a result, measures relating to identity have been included to the Bill in the appropriate places, according to an explanation provided by the DoT.
Misrepresenting one’s identity can result in up to a year in prison, a fine of up to $50,000, the suspension of communications services, or any combination of these penalties, according to Subsection 7 under Section 4 of the draught Bill. Since the offence has been classified as “cognisable,” police are free to detain the offender without a warrant or a judge’s approval.
Union Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently stated that the new Bill will handle cyber crime on various fronts in the framework of these security measures. According to him, effective Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance on the part of OTTs will help to significantly reduce fraud.
As the line between a voice conversation and a data communication has blurred, it is crucial that the recipient of a call understand who is calling across numerous platforms. Because of this, all platforms, including OTTs, are governed by the same laws.
The DoT has requested a method that will allow the caller’s name to appear on the screen when a call is received from telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. This name would be included in the caller’s telecom subscriber’s KYC paperwork.
