India’s telecoms ministry has privately asked all smartphone makers to preload all new devices with a state-owned cybersecurity app, a government order showed, a move set to spark a tussle with Apple, which typically dislikes such directives. The order was subsequently withdrawn after an uproar.
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.
Apple, which has previously locked horns with the telecoms regulator over the development of a government anti-spam mobile app, is among the companies, such as Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi, bound by the new order.
The November 28 order gives major smartphone companies 90 days to ensure that the government’s Sanchar Saathi app is pre-installed on new mobile phones, with a provision that users cannot disable it. For devices already in the supply chain, the order requires manufacturers to push the app to phones via software updates.
While Apple pre-installs its own proprietary apps on phones, its internal policies prohibit installation of any government or third-party app before sale of a smartphone, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Two industry sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were concerned there had been no consultation with companies before the order was issued. 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.
A 14- to 17-digit number unique to each handset, the IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is most commonly used to cut off network access for phones reported to have been stolen. The government app allows users to report suspicious calls, verify IMEIs, and block stolen devices through a central registry.
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 in tracking and blocking lost or stolen phones, helping police to trace devices while keeping counterfeits out of the black market.
The Union Government following uproar subsequently revoked the order mandating pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on smartphones sold in the country.
The decision came amid ongoing debates in Parliament about privacy concerns linked to the app, after a government order mandated phone makers to pre-load their devices and update their older phones with the Sanchar Saathi app.
