SIM-binding order poses no privacy risk, enhances security: Cellular operators’ body

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the industry body representing private telecom operators such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, has said that the recent order on SIM-binding poses no security or privacy concerns. According to COAI, the measure does not require additional data collection by app-based communication services and does not create any new categories of metadata. It simply ensures that the SIM linked to a user’s identity is present during periodic authentication, similar to the widely used UPI system. This, the association said, strengthens security without compromising user privacy.