Apple pushes back against India’s "sledgehammer" mandatory cyber app plans

• One source called the directive "not just a sledgehammer but a double-barrel gun".
• Apple will not go to court but will privately tell officials it "can’t do this. Period".
• Samsung and other brands are still reviewing the government’s requirements.

Apple will reportedly not comply with India’s mandate to preload a state-owned cyber safety app on iPhones and plans to raise its concerns with New Delhi. 

As reported by Reuters, two insiders said Apple will tell the government that such mandates conflict with its global policies and raise major privacy and security concerns for iOS.

One source described the directive as “not just a sledgehammer but a double-barrel gun".

A second source said Apple won’t go to court or make a public statement, but will privately tell the government it cannot comply due to security vulnerabilities, adding that Apple “can’t do this. Period.”

A fourth industry source said other smartphone brands, including Samsung, are still reviewing the government’s order.

Rising criticism 

Earlier this month, India quietly ordered Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and others to preload the Sanchar Saathi app within 90 days, an app designed to track stolen phones, block them, and prevent misuse.

The mandate also required manufacturers to make the app non-removable and push it to existing devices through software updates.

India’s telecom ministry defended the mandated app preload as a security measure against cyber threats, but critics, including opposition leaders and privacy advocates, said it was a way to access the country’s 730 million smartphones. 

After backlash, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the app was voluntary and could be deleted, though he did not address the earlier confidential order requiring manufacturers to preload it and keep its functions from being disabled.