🔗 Share this article

In a significant move, India's telecommunications ministry has confidentially instructed mobile phone makers to include all new handsets with a national cybersecurity app that must remain installed. This mandate, which has come to light, is expected to concern leading tech firms like Apple and raise concerns among digital rights groups.

A Worldwide Trend in Cybersecurity Regulation

In tackling a rising tide of digital scams and hacking, The Indian authorities is following regulators across the globe. This move echoes recent regulations framed in nations like Russia, which are designed to curb the use of stolen phones for scams and encourage state-backed applications.

Which Manufacturers Are Impacted by the Order?

The recent mandate applies to leading mobile phone makers active in the domestic market. This encompasses Apple, a company that has in the past clashed with the telecom authority over similar applications, as well as giants like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Details of the Government Order

An directive dated 28 November gives phone companies a three-month window to ensure that the government's Sanchar Saathi app is factory-loaded on all new mobile phones. A critical provision is that consumers will not be able to remove the application.

For handsets currently in the distribution network, manufacturers are required to deliver the app via software updates. It is worth mentioning that this order was not made public and was sent privately to select companies.

User Consent Worries Raised

However, legal experts have raised significant apprehensions regarding this policy. A lawyer focusing in tech law said that India's step is a reason to worry.

“The government practically removes user consent as a real choice,” commented Mishi Choudhary, an advocate working on digital advocacy issues.

Digital rights groups had also criticised a similar mandate by Russia in August for a government-sponsored messenger app to be included on phones.

The Size of the Indian Market

India, one of the world's biggest telephone markets, boasts over 1.2 billion connections. Government data indicate that the Sanchar Saathi app, introduced in January, has reportedly helped recovering more than 700,000 stolen phones, with around 50,000 recovered in October alone.

The authorities contends that the app is essential to fight the “significant endangerment” of telecom cybersecurity from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which facilitate scams and system misuse.

The Tech Giant's Stance

Apple's iOS runs on an approximate 4.5% of the 735 million mobile phones in India, with the vast majority using Android, according to market research. While Apple pre-installs its own first-party apps on its devices, its company guidelines reportedly forbid the inclusion of any third-party application before the purchase of a device.

“Apple has in the past declined such mandates from governments,” said Tarun Pathak, a analyst at Counterpoint.

“It’s probable to seek a negotiated solution: instead of a forced inclusion, they might discuss and propose an option to nudge users towards downloading the application.”

Requests for comment from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi went unresponded. India’s telecoms ministry also offered no comment.

Understanding the IMEI and the App's Function

The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a unique identification number unique to each handset. It is most commonly used by carriers to disable network access for phones flagged as lost.

The Sanchar Saathi app is primarily intended to help users block and track missing smartphones across all telecom networks, using a national registry. It also lets them to spot, and terminate, unauthorised mobile connections.

Impressive Adoption and Outcomes

With over 5 million installs since its release, the app has already been used to block over 3.7 million missing mobile phones. Furthermore, more than 30 million illegal connections have also been terminated through its use.

The authorities claims that the tool helps combating cyberthreats and assists in the tracking and blocking of missing phones, thereby aiding police in tracing devices and preventing counterfeits out of the black market.