India orders all new smartphones to ship with a mandatory cybersecurity app
- The directive also requires pushing the app to existing stock via software updates.
- The state-owned app helps track stolen phones and cut off fraudulent mobile connections.
- India follows global moves to curb device fraud and promote government service apps.
- Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi must comply with the new mandate.
India’s telecom ministry has directed smartphone manufacturers to preload a mandatory, undeletable cybersecurity app developed by the state.
As reported by Reuters, a government order dated November 28 gives major smartphone makers 90 days to preload the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices, with no option for users to disable it.
The order also instructs manufacturers to add the app to devices already in the supply chain through software updates. The directive was not publicly released and was shared privately with select companies.
The Sanchar Saathi app lets users block or track lost or stolen phones through a central registry and identify or disconnect fraudulent mobile connections.
Mandatory compliance
India has joined countries like Russia in introducing rules that block the use of stolen devices for fraud and push state-backed government service apps.
Smartphone giants such as Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi are required to comply with the new order.
With over five million downloads, so far it has helped block more than 3.7m stolen devices and terminate over 30m fraudulent connections. The government said it boosts cyber safety, aids police investigations, and helps keep counterfeit phones out of the market.
However, the move is expected to spark pushback from Apple and raise concerns among privacy advocates who argue it could expand government access to user data.
Apple’s policies bar preloading any government or third-party apps on its devices, a stance it has consistently held in past government requests, according to a source.
Analyst Tarun Pathak said Apple will likely push for a compromise, suggesting it may propose prompting users to install the app instead of making it mandatory.