Reddit Post Exposes Critical Privacy Flaw in Airtel's Number Recycling Policy
A recent Reddit discussion has ignited serious concerns about Airtel's practice of recycling mobile numbers after just 90 days of inactivity. The viral post highlights significant privacy and security risks for millions of Indian mobile users.
The Unfortunate Experience of a New Airtel User
An Airtel customer shared his disturbing experience after purchasing a new SIM card. Despite never sharing his new number with anyone, he immediately started receiving calls from strangers. Even more alarming, banks began contacting him demanding repayment of loans he never took.
When the user checked Truecaller, he discovered the number previously belonged to someone named Kiran. The recycled number remained linked to multiple digital platforms and services, creating a nightmare scenario for both the previous and new owner.
The new user found he could potentially access the former user's Facebook account and personal details simply by using OTP verification. This exposed critical vulnerabilities in how digital platforms rely solely on mobile numbers for authentication.
Widespread Impact on Digital Services
The Reddit user detailed numerous problems he encountered due to the number's previous associations. Food delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy showed no new user offers since they were already used by the previous owner. Ride-sharing service Uber displayed poor ratings linked to the number.
Government website registrations proved impossible as the system recognized the number as already registered. "If I try to register on some platforms or govt websites it says this number is already registered try login. If I try login it shows previous owners details," the user explained.
The situation demonstrates how deeply mobile numbers are integrated into India's digital ecosystem, serving as unique identifiers for everything from food delivery to financial services.
Social Media Reacts to Security Concerns
Other social media users expressed alarm at the implications. One commenter noted, "Food delivery is one thing. But even things like Aadhaar, income tax, UPI, bank accounts is all connected to the same flimsy number. This is a massive security issue."
Another user criticized developers who treat phone numbers as permanent identifiers, while several shared similar experiences with recycled numbers. One person revealed, "I got a number of a girl probably who's ex used to call me and ask me if I'm her current bf, though I explained it to him several times but he didn't listen."
Legal Framework and Supreme Court Stance
While the Reddit post specifically mentions Airtel, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) permits all mobile operators to reassign deactivated numbers after 90 days of inactivity. This policy affects all telecom providers in the country.
In 2023, the Supreme Court addressed a petition concerning data misuse risks from number recycling. The court declined to prevent telecom companies from reallocating deactivated mobile numbers. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti stated in their October 30 order that "It is for the earlier subscriber to take adequate steps to ensure that privacy is maintained."
The Reddit user has urged the government to extend the deactivation period to at least one year and implement a cooling-off period of 4-5 years before reissuing numbers to better protect citizen privacy.
LiveMint has contacted Airtel for comment and is awaiting their response regarding these serious privacy concerns affecting Indian mobile users.
