The Ministry of Communications has privately asked all smartphone manufacturers to preload all new devices with a state-owned ‘Sanchar Saathi’ cybersecurity app, a government order accessed by Reuters reportedly showed. The move in all likelihood is set to spark a tussle with Apple, which typically dislikes directives of that kind, the news agency predicted.
The November 28 order, seen by Reuters, gives major smartphone companies 90 days to ensure that the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app is pre-installed on new mobile phones, with a provision that users cannot disable it. Apple has previously locked horns with India’s telecoms regulator over the development of a government anti-spam mobile app. While Apple pre-installs its own proprietary apps on phones, its internal policies prohibit the installation of any government or third-party app before sale. The California-based gadget giant was among the companies, such as Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi, bound by the new order.
India is one of the world's largest telephone markets with more than 1.2 billion subscribers, and government figures show the app, launched in January, has helped recover more than 700,000 lost phones, including 50,000 in October alone. For devices already in the supply chain, the order requires manufacturers to push the app to phones via software updates, the report added.
Understanding ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app
In the order, the government said the app was essential to combat "serious endangerment" of telecom cybersecurity from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which enable scams and network misuse. The app reportedly allows users to report suspicious calls, verify IMEIs and block stolen devices through a central registry.
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With more than 5 million downloads since its launch, the app has helped block more than 3.7 million stolen or lost mobile phones, while more than 30 million fraudulent connections have also been terminated. The government says it helps prevent cyber threats and assists tracking and blocking of lost or stolen phones, helping police to trace devices, while keeping counterfeits out of the black market.
