The High Court has declared that registered mobile phone numbers cannot be deactivated or reassigned without the owner’s consent.
In a ruling on Thursday, March 19, 2026, the court asserted that mobile numbers are digital identifiers that link information to an individual’s private affairs.
Reports indicate that the court quoted Articles 31 (c) and (d) of the Constitution, which safeguard the right not to have private information exposed unnecessarily.
According to the ruling, mobile numbers often carry data that can reveal an individual’s financial, social, and personal activity, making their protection critical in the digital age.
High Court halts reassignment of mobile phone numbers
It further instructed the Office of the Attorney General to take all necessary measures within six months to safeguard digital identities associated with registered numbers.
According to reports, the ruling followed a petition filed in June 2024 that sought to stop telecommunication companies from recycling mobile numbers.
The petitioners argued that reassignment of deactivated but previously registered phone numbers posed a significant threat to users’ privacy.
In the ruling, the court stated that the reassignment of numbers should only occur under strict conditions designed to protect the privacy of the previous owner.
