India's Telecom Department Mandates Facial Checks for New SIM Issuances

India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has mandated telecom service providers (TSPs) to implement facial recognition checks during the issuance of new SIM cards. This move aims to prevent individuals from exceeding the limit of nine mobile connections per person across all operators. The directive, issued on August 17, 2026, will be phased in starting August 23, with real-time checks to be in place by November 30.

Under the new policy, TSPs must download daily representative photographs of subscribers from the DoT's Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP). These images will be used to identify applicants who have already reached the nine-connection limit before a new SIM is issued. This replaces the previous system where excess connections were identified and disconnected after activation.

The circular requires TSPs to refuse a new connection if the applicant has already reached the permitted limit. Initially, checks will occur one day after enrollment, with immediate suspension of any connection activated beyond the limit until resolution. By November 30, the check must be integrated into the enrollment and activation process for real-time enforcement.

This directive integrates facial recognition into the pre-issuance stage, a shift from previous uses of the DIP system which primarily linked existing connections. The four major TSPs—Bharti Airtel Limited, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Vodafone Idea Limited, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited—are required to share subscriber data and photographs daily with DIP. This daily data exchange raises privacy concerns, as facial data will leave the centralized DIP and reside within four separate operator systems without clear retention limits.