New Delhi, Dec. 1 -- On 28 November, India's telecom department sent directives to major communication app providers - including WhatsApp, Telegram and even Zoho's marketing-powered Arattai - ordering them not to allow usage on phones without SIM cards.

The goal: curb the rising wave of cyber fraud.

Whether this will be implemented immediately, and whether it can truly curb fraud depends on many moving parts. For now, compliance requirements kick in right away. Telecom operators have long pushed for identity-linked communication, so the move broadly aligns with their demands. For tech companies, the move would not take much to implement, but it could disrupt how a large number of people currently use these apps.

Can it make a differenc...