In a significant step towards enhancing digital security, the Indian government has mandated that all new smartphones must come with a pre-installed cybersecurity app. This decision, enforced by the Department of Telecommunications, requires manufacturers to load the Sanchar Saathi app onto devices within 90 days. The app, launched in January, is intended to help users verify a device's authenticity and report lost or stolen phones.
Despite the government’s claims that this measure will bolster telecom cybersecurity—citing recovery of over 700,000 lost phones—the move has sparked concerns regarding privacy. Critics, including cyber experts and advocacy groups, argue that the mandatory app breaches the users' right to privacy, converting every smartphone into a tool for state-monitored surveillance.
The Sanchar Saathi app will be mandatory on devices sold in one of the world's largest mobile markets, where over 1.2 billion users are active. It is designed to check a device's IMEI number—a unique identifier that prevents misuse of mobile networks.
Privacy advocates highlight substantial risks, as the app requires broad permissions that could potentially allow extensive data collection. According to experts, this demand could conflict with the policies of major manufacturers such as Apple, which typically avoids pre-installation of government apps on their devices. Apple has indicated it may resist this order, signaling a potential clash between the tech giant and the Indian government.
While the broader implications of this regulation continue to unfold, it reflects a growing trend among countries, like Russia, to enforce similar requirements on mobile devices, raising global concerns around data privacy and surveillance.
