Urgent call! House panel backs DoT's number check plan

New Delhi: The telecom department's move to introduce a mobile number validation (MNV) platform by amending the telecom cybersecurity rules has got support from the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs, which wants it to be implemented nationwide in collaboration with banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and fintech platforms to limit the use of mobile numbers in fraudulent or mule accounts.

The committee, which tabled its report in Parliament last month, also recommended continued investment in indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like AI powered facial recognition solution for telecom SIM subscriber verification to prevent identity fraud at the point of issuing SIM cards.

The committee lauded the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for its initiatives to tackle cybercrime using telecom resources, highlighting the successful Sanchar Saathi portal, which engages citizens in protecting digital identities.

As per officials, the report underscored a major vulnerability in tackling cybercrimes. Currently, there is no legal mechanism that ensures that mobile numbers linked to bank accounts truly belong to account holders. To plug this gap, the DoT has proposed setting up an MNV platform letting banks and fintech firms verify ownership of telephone numbers directly with telecom providers.

The telecom cybersecurity rules need to be amended to establish the MNV platform but certain stakeholders have expressed concerns over the changes in the rules. They feel the proposed changes are too overarching and compromise the privacy of consumers.

The new rules will apply to all 'telecommunication identifier user entities, or entities that use phone numbers to identify customers or their transactions.

While the DoT has proposed changes in the rules in a bid to curb the growing menace of online fraud and spoofing, privacy activists think otherwise.

The committee, however, urged urgent federal roll-out of the MNC platform with privacy safeguards built in.

Recognising that technology alone is not enough, the committee emphasised large-scale, multilingual awareness campaigns, especially targeting rural and regional populations, so that everyone knows how to report fraud and safeguard digital identities. It also called for sustained investment in indigenous AI and deeper integration among platforms such as Sanchar Saathi and Digital Intelligence Platform, and law enforcement, to automate risk alerts and minimise delays in fighting cybercrime.