Push to curb telecom scams raises questions about user rights and digital surveillance
India has directed smartphone manufacturers to pre-install its government-backed anti-fraud app, Sanchar Saathi, on all new mobile phones sold in the country.
The mandate, issued on 28 November by the Ministry of Communications, gives device makers 90 days to comply.
The ruling also applies to phones already produced but still in the domestic supply chain. For all such devices, the manufacturer and importers mush push the app through software updates.
As per the government order, the cybersecurity application must be "readily visible and accessible to the end users at the time of first use or device setup" and its functionalities "not disabled or restricted".
The Sanchar Saathi platform was launched in May 2023 and it enables users to:
The app - available on Android and iOS - has been installed more than 11.4 million times.
Government statistics show the service has:
Officials say compulsory pre-installation will help combat rising telecom scams, including fake IMEI numbers used to mask criminal activity and protect consumers from purchasing counterfeit smartphones.
"India has a big second-hand mobile device market," the Ministry of Communications said.
"Cases have also been observed where stolen or blacklisted devices are being re-sold. It makes the purchaser abettor in crime and causes financial loss to them. The blocked/blacklisted IMEIs can be checked using the Sanchar Saathi App."
Digital rights experts warn the policy marks the first step toward broader digital surveillance.
"This is the beginning. It is government testing the waters," said Nikhil Pahwa, founder of tech policy publication MediaNama.
"Once a government app is forcibly pre-installed on our devices, what's to stop them from pushing future apps that could be used for surveillance?"
Pahwa argued the move strips users of agency over the technology they own.
"Phones are our personal spaces," he added. "The government is taking away that choice."
Telecom minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia attempted to ease concerns in a 2nd December post on X, claiming "this is a completely voluntary and democratic system" and that "users may choose to activate the app and avail its benefits, or if they do not wish to, they can easily delete it from their phone at any time."
Industry sources told Reuters that Apple does not intend to comply, arguing that mandatory third-party apps undermine the privacy and security principles of iOS.
The company is expected to tell Indian authorities that it has rejected similar requirements globally.
The standoff may place Apple at odds with a government increasingly assertive toward tech firms operating in the world's second-largest smartphone market.
India's move comes months after Russia similarly mandated that a state-developed messenger app, MAX, be preloaded on all major consumer smart devices. Privacy advocates in Russia have warned the app could track users, accusations denied by state media.
Moscow has since imposed restrictions on Telegram and WhatsApp, pushing for domestic alternatives and threatening to block services that don't comply with national surveillance laws.