The new Telecommunications Act-2023, which came into effect on June 26, has provisions for phone customers to prevent misuse of their ID and SIM cards. If you are a SIM card holder, this news is essential because these new rules can cause you a lot of trouble.
According to the new regulations, purchasing a SIM card in the wrong way can result in a fine of up to 50 lakhs and also imprisonment for 3 years. Therefore, read below to understand these rules in detail.
1July New Sim Card Rules
The regulations regarding SIM card changes have always been modified by TRAI with a focus on security, and this time, a new SIM swap fraud change has been implemented keeping in mind the security of SIM cards and users, which will come into effect from July 1, 2024. According to this rule, to prevent SIM swap fraud, if your SIM card is stolen, damaged, or lost, you cannot immediately purchase a new SIM card as before. Now, you will have to wait for 7 days as per this new regulation.
You will have to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh for purchasing more than 9 SIMs
If you use or want to buy a SIM card, you should know that buying more than 9 SIM cards will result in a penalty of ₹50000, and if you do it again, you may be penalized up to ₹200000.
Biometric data is necessary to sell SIM
If you are thinking of selling a SIM card, it is important to inform you that your biometric data is essential for selling the SIM card. Only after taking your biometric data will the SIM card be issued. If you do not do this, according to this new rule, your SIM card will be deactivated.
The punishment will be 3 years
According to this new rule, sim cloning is also a very serious offense. If you are caught cloning a sim, the government will sentence you to 3 years. This new rule also provides for a 3-year prison sentence and a fine of up to 50 lakh rupees for selling, buying, and using a sim card in wrong and fake ways.
The government will have full power
In this new regulation, the government can control telecommunications services at any time to prevent public security and crimes. If the government suspects any cybercrime intrusion from your number, the government has full authorization to take control of your phone.
Heavy fine will be imposed on call recording
If you tap or record someone’s call without the permission of the other user, it will also be considered a legal offense, and if caught doing so, you will have to pay a penalty of up to 3 years and two crore rupees.
Unwanted calls will be stopped
If you are bothered by unwanted calls and messages while using your mobile, keeping the Do Not Disturb service active on your mobile will prevent any such SMS or calls from reaching you.
The person causing trouble will have to pay a heavy fine
If you receive repeated calls from a single number and feel harassed, you have the option to take legal action against it, which may result in heavy fines for the perpetrator. Additionally, the offender could face up to 3 years of imprisonment.
