Asger Risom
The decision comes as India faces a sharp rise in cyber fraud, phone theft, and SIM-based scams across its more than 1.2 billion mobile users.
India has quietly instructed major smartphone manufacturers to begin shipping every new handset with a government-built cyber safety app that cannot be removed, marking one of the country’s most aggressive digital policy moves in years.
The directive, issued privately by the telecoms ministry on Nov. 28 and reviewed by Reuters, requires companies including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app within 90 days. Devices already in the supply chain must receive the app through an over-the-air software update.
The decision comes as India faces a sharp rise in cyber fraud, phone theft, and SIM-based scams across its more than 1.2 billion mobile users.
Why India is pushing a mandatory app
Officials say Sanchar Saathi is now a critical tool for combating digital crime. The app lets users block and track stolen phones, check for fraudulent SIM cards linked to their identity, and prevent devices with spoofed or duplicate IMEI numbers from being used on any Indian network.
Government data shows the system has helped recover more than 700,000 lost devices, including 50,000 in October alone, and has been used to terminate more than 30 million fraudulent mobile connections.
Authorities argue that preloading the app is necessary to address what they describe as a “serious endangerment” to telecom security, citing widespread misuse of stolen phones and IMEI manipulation in criminal schemes.
Privacy concerns and pushback from industry
The requirement is already raising alarms among privacy advocates and device makers, particularly because the app cannot be disabled or removed.
“The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful choice,” said Mishi Choudhary, a lawyer who specializes in technology policy.
Apple is expected to resist the mandate. The company’s internal policy prohibits shipping iPhones with any government or third-party software pre-installed, and it has rejected similar requests in the past. Analysts say Apple will likely push for an alternative, such as prompting users to install the app voluntarily after setup.
Other manufacturers, most of which run Android and have looser policies, may find compliance easier—but industry groups have voiced concern over the lack of consultation before the directive was issued.
A global trend toward state-mandated apps
India’s move mirrors similar actions by other governments. Russia imposed a requirement this year for phones to ship with the state-backed MAX messenger app, a rule widely criticized by privacy groups. Several countries have also tightened controls on stolen devices to curb fraud tied to illicit phone resellers.
For India, the preloaded app marks the latest attempt to bring tighter oversight to one of the world’s biggest and most rapidly growing smartphone markets. But the tension between cyber safety and user privacy is now set to play out directly on the devices people carry every day.
Sources: Reuters
