The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has informed the Supreme Court that mobile phone numbers, once deactivated due to non-usage or upon subscriber request for disconnection, are not assigned to new subscribers for a minimum of 90 days. The Supreme Court was addressing a petition expressing concerns about potential data misuse after a mobile number becomes inactive or gets disconnected.
Upon reviewing TRAI’s counter affidavit, a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti noted that subscribers can prevent data misuse on WhatsApp by deleting the WhatsApp account linked to the previous phone number and erasing any associated data stored on local devices, the cloud, or drives.
The bench decided not to proceed further with the current writ petition, as TRAI’s affidavit clarified that once a cellular mobile telephone number is deactivated due to non-usage or subscriber request, it remains unallocated to a new subscriber for a minimum period of 90 days. The court emphasized that it’s the responsibility of the former subscriber to take adequate measures to protect their privacy. The order, issued on October 30, also acknowledged that WhatsApp monitors account inactivity and removes old account data when an account is inactive for 45 days before being activated on a different mobile device. Based on TRAI’s affidavit, the bench dismissed the plea.
