A warning has been issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regarding the use of cellular signal jammers, GPS blockers, or other signal jamming devices by individuals, emphasizing that it is illegal unless officially permitted by the government.

The DoT, in a memorandum issued on July 1, emphasized the public interest by clarifying that the government-approved jammers are restricted to procurement and usage by states, union territories, defense forces, and central police organizations.

Private sector organizations and individuals in the private sector are restricted from obtaining or utilizing jammers in India, as per the advisory.

Examination conducting bodies under the union/state government or union territories are permitted to use jammers from authorized vendors and approved models, upon obtaining prior permission from the competent authority.

In addition, the DoT has made it clear that it is illegal to advertise, sell, distribute, import, or market jammers in India without the necessary authorization from government authorities.

The use of mobile signal repeaters and boosters by individuals has been declared unlawful by the Department of Transportation (DoT), extending beyond jammers. According to a memo issued by the DoT, the unauthorized use of repeaters can negatively impact public telecommunication services by jeopardizing their quality and coverage, resulting in interference and disruption.

Earlier this year, in January, the DoT had cautioned e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Alibaba, Aliexpress, Ebay, and others against supporting the sale of wireless jammers.