Phony SIM cards carry a 50 lakh fine and three years in jail: SIM cards will require biometric identification; the Lok Sabha approved a law pertaining to telecommunications.

On Wednesday, December 20, the revised Telecommunication Bill 2023 was approved by the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha has now received this bill for a final assessment. This bill stipulates that buying a phony SIM could result in three years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.

The bill requests that telecom providers need biometric verification prior to providing SIM cards to customers.

For concerns of national security, this law would provide the government the authority to assume control of, oversee, or halt any telecom service or network. That is, the government will have the capability to intercept messages on the telecom network in the event of a conflict.