Govt to impose Rs 50,000 fine for providing fake details for SIM cards and other illegal deeds

As per the prepared draft of the Indian Telecommunication Bill 2022, providing fake documents to avail a mobile SIM card or create an account on OTT platforms and on WhatsApp, Telegram and others will invite one year in jail or a fine up to Rs 50,000.

The report also said that under Section 4, sub-section 7 requires telecom users to declare their real identity, failing to which means a police officer can arrest the violator without a warrant and start the investigation with the court’s order. This will help in preventing cyber frauds done using telecom services.

The DoT has asked telecom regulator TRAI for a mechanism that will allow the caller’s name to flash on the screen when a call is received. This name would be as part of KYC documents of the telecom subscriber making the call. It is important that the receiver of a call knows who is calling across various platforms as the distinction between a voice call and a data call has vanished.

Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw recently said, “The new Bill will tackle the situation of cyber fraud head-on and address it upfront, in not just one but multiple dimensions. The obligation of KYC, ensuring duties on the users, including various modes of calls, in the draft telecom Bill, and I strongly believe that with the implementation of this bill.”