According to the November 28 directive of the Department of Telecommunications, the messaging platforms will have to ensure that services work only if an active SIM is in the user's device.

Also, any web version of the app must automatically log users out at least once every six hours.

The players providing app-based communication services in India will have to comply within 90 days from the date of issue of the directive.

Citing the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in Justice K S Puttaswamy vs Union of India, he reminded the Government that the right to privacy is intrinsic to life and personal liberty under Article 21.

Brittas also recalled the 2023 iPhone warning message episode in which several elected representatives, journalists and constitutional authorities received security warnings from Apple regarding possible state-sponsored hacking attempts.

He said, despite raising this issue in Parliament and seeking only the status and findings of the investigation reportedly referred to CERT-In, his questions were repeatedly disallowed on the ground that the matter was "secret in nature."

"To this day, to my knowledge, Parliament remains uninformed whether the probe was ever completed or what its findings were.

When even Parliament is denied access to post facto findings in a matter that strikes at the heart of fundamental rights, it becomes exceedingly difficult for citizens to repose trust in assurances that new digital controls will not be misused," he said.

The Department of Telecom has directed manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets to ensure that its fraud-reporting app Sanchar Saathi is pre-installed in all new devices within 90 days.

According to the direction dated November 28, all mobile phones that will be manufactured in India or imported after 90 days from the date of issuing of the order will need to have the app.

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said the app can be deleted by users.