Google has taken down two apps, Airalo and Holafly, offering international eSIM services from the Google Play Store in India following directives from the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) aimed at curbing cyberfraud. Both applications, facilitating eSIM-enabled telecom services globally, were removed from the Google Play Store for the Indian region. Despite attempts to seek comments from Google through emails, there has been no response as of now.
The DoT issued orders on Thursday, instructing not only the removal of these apps but also urging Apple, internet service providers, and telecom companies to block their websites in India. The decision stems from concerns that fraudsters exploit unauthorized eSIMs with international phone numbers to carry out cybercrimes. It’s noteworthy that eSIM providers, offering digital SIM cards for voice calling and internet data packs without requiring a physical SIM card, are mandated to obtain a no-objection certificate (NoC) from the DoT.
Although Airalo and Holafly have been delisted from the Google Play Store, they remain accessible on the Apple App Store. Meanwhile, other eSIM providers like Nomad eSIM and aloSIM continue to be available for users in India to download and utilize.
