Mobile numbers deactivated or disconnected on subscriber’s request not allocated for at least 90 days: TRAI to SC

Mobile phone numbers once deactivated for non-usage or disconnected on the subscriber’s request are not allocated to new subscribers for at least 90 days, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has told the Supreme Court.

The apex court was hearing a petition raising concern about alleged misuse of data, after a mobile number gets disconnected or deactivated due to non-usage.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, which considered the TRAI’s counter affidavit, noted a subscriber can prevent misuse of WhatsApp data by deleting the WhatsApp account attached with the previous phone number and erasing the data stored on the local device memory, cloud or drive.