Highlights:
– The Indian government has made police verification mandatory for sim card distributors in order to curb cybercrime.
– Facial-based biometric verification has been approved for sim card registration to prevent misuse of printed Aadhaar cards.
– Distributors found involved in illegal activities may have their licenses cancelled for up to three years.
– The government has launched the Sanchar Saathi portal, where users can check the number of sim cards registered under their name and report lost or fake numbers.
– Through the portal and the AS-TR tool, over 114 crore active mobile connections have been checked, leading to the discovery of over 66 lakh suspicious connections. Additionally, more than 52 lakh connections without re-verification were deactivated.
No More Black SIM Cards: The Indian government took a significant step towards curbing cybercrime by making police verification mandatory for SIM card sellers, specifically distributors. Now, anyone selling SIM cards will have their transactions monitored by the government, and if any illegal activities are detected, the government will take immediate action against the distributor and related individuals, with penalties up to 10 lakh rupees. Verification of distributors will be conducted by a licensing authority or telecom operator. Those who violate this rule may face legal action and hefty fines.
Facial-based biometric authentication for e-KYC: The government has approved facial-based biometric authentication for SIM card registration. This means that users can now obtain a SIM card by verifying their identity through facial recognition. To prevent misuse of printed Aadhaar cards, QR codes are used to scan and retrieve customers’ basic details. Therefore, shopkeepers no longer need to provide printed Aadhaar cards; they can simply scan the QR code and obtain all the necessary information. If any distributor is found involved in illegal activities, the government can cancel their license for up to three years. Currently, shopkeepers have a period of 12 months to complete their registration, after which the government will take action against those operating illegally.
Sanchar Saathi Portal: The Indian government has also launched the Sanchar Saathi portal, which allows users to check how many SIM cards are registered under their name. Additionally, users can use the portal to block their SIM cards, report stolen mobile phones, and report fake numbers. Through the Sanchar Saathi portal and the ASAP (Advanced System for Assistance to Provider) tool, approximately 114 crore active mobile connections have been examined. The following findings have been made:
– More than 66 lakh suspicious mobile connections have been identified.
– Over 52 lakh connections have been disconnected due to non-compliance with re-verification.
– More than 67,000 points of sale (POS) have been blacklisted.
– Around 17,000 mobile handsets have been blocked.
– More than 300 FIRs have been filed against over 1,700 points of sale (POS).
– Over 66,000 WhatsApp accounts have been blocked, and nearly 8 lakh bank/wallet accounts used by fraudsters have been frozen.
And, the Indian government’s recent actions, such as mandatory police verification for SIM card sellers, facial-based biometric authentication, and the launch of the Sanchar Saathi portal, aim to tackle cybercrime and ensure the safety of mobile users. These initiatives will help mitigate fraudulent activities and protect individuals from illegal practices in the telecom sector.
