Here's The Supreme Court's 'WhatsApp Warning' For Prepaid Mobile Phone Subscribers In India

After the completion of the 90-day statutory period, a telecom service provider can assign the same number to a new subscriber.

Network service providers can now reassign deactivated mobile numbers to new subscribers after the completion of statutory period.

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In a ruling, the Supreme Court has said that network service providers such as Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea can now reassign deactivated mobile numbers to new subscribers after the completion of statutory period, says a report by Gadgets Now. Given that WhatsApp accounts are linked with mobile numbers, subscribers have been cautioned to clear their data before changing numbers. The new Supreme Court advisory is important for prepaid mobile subscribers in the country who may switch their numbers.

After the completion of the 90-day statutory period, a telecom service provider can assign the same number to a new subscriber.

The apex court has said that mobile service providers are allowed to reassign deactivated or disconnected numbers to new subscribers once the statutory period lapses, highlighting that it is the responsibility of subscribers to delete their shared data on WhatsApp or other platforms.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti rejected a plea by advocate Rajeshwari, who had requested the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to direct telecom service providers to refrain from assigning deactivated mobile numbers to new users.

The bench led by Justice Khanna stated: "We are not inclined to pursue the current writ petition further, as clarified by TRAI's filed counter affidavit, that a mobile number deactivated due to non-usage or upon subscriber request is not reassigned to a new subscriber for a minimum period of 90 days."

Meanwhile, Meta-owned WhatsaApp rolled out an update last month which is significant for its users in the country. WhatsApp users previously had to rely on dual or clone app features on their handsets to manage two separate accounts. However, the latest WhatsApp update has streamlined the process, making it easier for users to connect with contacts using different numbers.