DoT Orders Social Media Companies to take Action Against Telecom Act-Violating Content

Nitin Konde, Varun Bhardwaj

19 Feb 2025 — 3 min read

DoT Directs Social Media Platforms to Remove Telecom Act Violations

According to a media outlet, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered all social media companies, including Meta, Instagram, Google, and X, to take down particular apps or content that help users commit violations of the Telecommunications Act of 2023. This warning comes after some social media influencers were reported to have given users instructions on how to change their calling line identity (CLI) while making calls, which would result in the recipient seeing a different number. According to the advice, this is technically known as CLI spoofing, which is the altering of telecommunication identity. Such tampering is expressly prohibited by the Telecommunications Act.

Why DoT has Directly Stepped in?

Since social media platforms are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the DoT normally does not deal with them; however, in this case, it stepped in since the content on the sites allowed users to break the Telecommunications Act. According to a source cited in the paper, any person or platform that promotes the misuse or manipulation of telecommunication identification must be stopped. By February 28, social media companies are expected to verify that they are complying with the directive.

Legal Ramifications and Prohibitions

According to the advice, tampering with telecommunication identification is expressly prohibited by Section 42(3)(c) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023. While Section 42(7) of the Act stipulates that such offences are cognisable and non-bailable notwithstanding anything contained in the 1973 Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 42(3)(e) forbids obtaining subscriber identity modules or other telecommunication identification through fraud, cheating, or impersonation. These charges carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a maximum fine of INR 50 lakh, or both. The advice stated that "those who abet any offence under the Act also envisage the same punishment under Section 42 (6) of the Act."

According to DoT, social media sites and application hosting platforms must remove any content or programs that encourage or permit the tampering of telecom identifiers (such as CLI, IP address, IMEI, etc.) because doing so aids users in committing crimes. The advice further stated that action against such companies may be taken for creating or disseminating content that aids in the commission of offences under the Telecommunication Act, 2023, in addition to removing such content or applications.

ITU and DoT Collaborate on AI-Powered Digital Twins

A strategic relationship aimed at improving AI-driven digital twin technologies has begun with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The goals of this partnership are to advance sustainable development, create international standards, and stimulate innovation in infrastructure planning. The LoI will lay the groundwork for a number of projects that will incorporate next-generation technologies—such as digital twins, AI-driven solutions, and IMT-2030 technologies—into frameworks that will help vital industries like healthcare, urban development, and transportation.

In an effort to bolster India's position as a global leader in digital connectivity, Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications, signed the LoI while on an official visit to Geneva. Dr. Mittal talked on India's leadership in 5G and 6G technologies, AI for digital transformation, and cybersecurity frameworks in talks with ITU leadership, including ITU Secretary-General Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin.