Why your WhatsApp Web may now log out every six hours

Due to a new directive from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), WhatsApp Web will automatically log out users every six hours. The move has received mixed reactions.Under the new rule, the DoT requires messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, to implement "SIM binding", i.e., linking of services to the SIM card used for registration via its IMSI identifier. If the original SIM is not present, access to these apps will be blocked 90 days from the directive's issuance. Under the same directive, web versions of these applications will log out periodically, no later than every six hours, forcing re-authentication via a QR code scan.A user logs in to WhatsApp Web through a browser, by scanning the QR code through the phone application.According to the authorities, this is to curb cyber fraud by preventing misuse of apps without active SIMs, often by scammers operating from abroad. Platforms are required to comply within 90 days and submit reports within four months, potentially by around February next year.The rules will apply to WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, and other OTT messaging platforms operating in India.Mixed reactionsUsers are likely to face workflow disruptions, especially multi-device professionals and travellers and small businesses that rely on shared devices. WhatsApp has 500 million Indian users and a major chunk of its business users are also in the country."Sim binding rule shall be a major disruption for professionals and businesses using web accounts of WhatsApp etc. It won't eliminate the fraud completely, as Sim Cloning / Sim Spoofing will still work," one user wrote on X.Others sought a way to make the process hassle-free after the rules came into effect.Industry voicesWhile a section of the tech industry believes that the DoT might have breached its regulatory mandate, officials clarified that the directions issued to the apps are within the purview of telecom cyber security rules. “It is only for the entities that use telecommunication identifiers like a mobile number for their services. In case they don’t want to do the SIM binding, they should not use the mobile number as an identifier,” an official told ET.Industry representatives also questioned the effectiveness of SIM binding in curbing fraud originating outside India, noting that scam operators can still obtain Indian SIMs through mules or remote devices, while a significant volume of fraud originates within the country.