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In a notable move, India's telecoms department has privately asked mobile phone makers to preload all new handsets with a state-owned cybersecurity app that is non-removable. This order, which has come to light, is set to alarm major tech companies like Apple and raise concerns among consumer watchdogs.

A Worldwide Shift in Cybersecurity Regulation

Addressing a growing wave of cybercrime and hacking, The Indian authorities is aligning with governments across the globe. This action mirrors recent measures introduced in nations like Russia, which seek to prevent the use of lost phones for illicit activities and promote state-backed tools.

Which Companies Are Bound by the Directive?

The new order applies to leading smartphone makers active in the domestic market. This encompasses Apple, which has in the past clashed with regulators over similar apps, as well as giants like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Details of the Official Order

An directive dated 28 November gives phone companies a three-month period to ensure that the official Sanchar Saathi application is factory-loaded on all new handsets. A key provision is that users will not be able to remove the application.

For handsets already in the supply chain, companies are directed to push the app via system upgrades. It is worth mentioning that this directive was sent confidentially and was dispatched privately to chosen manufacturers.

User Consent Apprehensions Raised

However, technology experts have flagged significant concerns regarding this policy. A legal expert specialising in technology law stated that India's directive is a worrying development.

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

Consumer organisations had earlier questioned a similar requirement by Russia in August for a state-backed communication called Max to be pre-installed on phones.

The Size of the Domestic Market

India, one of the world's biggest telephone markets, boasts more than 1.2 billion connections. Government figures indicate that the Sanchar Saathi app, introduced in January, has already helped tracking down more than 700,000 lost phones, with an estimated 50,000 found in October alone.

The authorities argues that the software is essential to fight the “grave endangerment” of mobile network cybersecurity from cloned or tampered IMEI numbers, which enable fraud and system abuse.

Apple's Position

Apple's iOS powers an estimated 4.5% of the 735 million smartphones in India, with the vast majority using Android, according to industry analysis. While Apple pre-installs its own first-party applications on its devices, its internal policies are said to forbid the inclusion of any government app before the purchase of a smartphone.

“Apple has historically refused these kinds of mandates from authorities,” commented Tarun Pathak, a analyst at Counterpoint.

“It’s expected to pursue a negotiated solution: instead of a compulsory pre-install, they might negotiate and ask for an alternative to prompt users towards installing the app.”

Queries for response from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi went unanswered. India’s telecoms department also remained silent.

Understanding the IMEI and the Application's Purpose

The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a 14- to 17-digit number assigned to each handset. It is most commonly used by networks to cut off network access for phones flagged as lost.

The Sanchar Saathi application is primarily designed to enable users block and track missing smartphones across all mobile carriers, using a national database. It also lets them to identify, and terminate, unauthorised mobile connections.

Impressive Usage and Results

With over 5 million installs since its launch, the app has reportedly been used to block over 3.7 million stolen or lost mobile phones. Furthermore, over 30 million illegal connections have also been blocked through its use.

The government states that the software helps preventing cyberthreats and assists in the tracking and blocking of missing phones, thereby aiding police in tracing devices and preventing cloned devices out of the black market.