The government has made tampering of IMEI number — a unique 15-digit serial number of mobile devices — a punishable offence that can attract jail term of up to three years as it seeks to curb incidence of mobile theft.
The move will help curb issues pertaining to fake IMEI numbers and ease tracking of lost mobile phones.
“It shall be unlawful, if a person, except the manufacturer — intentionally removes, obliterates, changes, or alters unique Mobile Device Equipment Identification Number,” the Department of Telecom said in a notification dated August 25.
New rules
The new rules called “the prevention of tampering of the Mobile Device Equipment Identification Number, Rules, 2017” bar a person from knowingly using mobile device whose IMEI number has been changed unlawfully or software that can change or tamper the unique number.
The rules have been framed in combination of section 7 and section 25 of the Indian Telegraph Act.
The section 7 gives DoT power to make rules for conduct of telecom or telegraph services and section 25 deals with damaging of telegraph line, machines and related equipment with provision of punishments of up to 3 years of imprisonment or fine or both.
Im addition, the Department of Telecom is putting in place a new system that will block all services on stolen or lost mobile phones on any network even if the SIM card is removed or IMEI number of the handset is changed.
What is an IMEI number?
IMEI is a unique ID of a mobile handset. Whenever a user makes a call, the call record shows phone number of the caller and IMEI number of the handset from which the call has been made. The mobile number in a handset may be changed by changing SIM but IMEI number can only be changed by a technical person using special equipment.
The unique number of mobile devices is allocated by global industry body GSMA and bodies authorised by it. When a mobile phone is lost, people are required to mention the IMEI number of the handset for tracking.
The DoT had started consultation in June to frame strict laws around tampering of IMEI numbers, which made tracking phones difficult for police and other security agencies.
The DoT barred telecom operators in 2009 from providing services to mobile phone with fake IMEI numbers but the operators faced problems identifying handsets with a duplicate IMEI number.
In one of the tracking cases, the Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) cell of the DoT found that there were around 18,000 handsets using same IMEI number.