According to industry sources, the government is likely to provide the option of a regulatory sandbox for existing and new over-the-top (OTT) communication apps to test features in a “live but safe environment” before they are allowed to be released for all users.
According to the latest version of the Draft India Telecommunications Bill 2023, the government will come out with specific administrative rules and eligibility criteria allowing OTT communication apps such as WhatsApp and Signal to be tested in regulatory sandboxes. This would allow both new and existing companies to test features and receive feedback from users and the government on features that are potentially harmful or could be misused.
