🔗 Share this article

In a notable move, India's telecoms department has privately instructed mobile phone makers to preload all new handsets with a national cybersecurity application that is non-removable. This directive, which has come to light, is set to concern major technology firms like Apple and prompt concerns among digital rights groups.

An International Trend in Digital Security Policy

Addressing a recent surge of online fraud and device misuse, The Indian authorities is following governments internationally. This step mirrors similar measures enacted in countries like Russia, which seek to prevent the use of lost phones for fraud and push government-developed tools.

Which Companies Are Bound by the Directive?

The recent order binds leading mobile phone makers active in the domestic market. Among them are Apple, a company that has in the past clashed with regulators over similar apps, as well as giants like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

The Fine Print of the Official Mandate

An directive dated 28 November gives smartphone companies a 90-day deadline to guarantee that the government's Sanchar Saathi application is included on all new devices. A key provision is that owners cannot disable the software.

For devices already in the supply chain, companies are instructed to push the app via system patches. It is notable that this directive was sent confidentially and was communicated selectively to specific manufacturers.

Privacy Concerns Expressed

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

“The government effectively eliminates user consent as a meaningful choice,” said Mishi Choudhary, an expert working on digital rights matters.

Privacy advocates had earlier questioned a comparable mandate by Russia in August for a government-sponsored communication app to be included on phones.

The Size of the Indian Smartphone Landscape

India, among the world's largest telephone markets, boasts more than 1.2 billion connections. Official data reveal that the cybersecurity application, launched in January, has already assisted in locating over 700,000 lost phones, with around 50,000 recovered in October by itself.

The authorities contends that the tool is crucial to fight the “significant endangerment” of telecom cybersecurity from cloned or spoofed IMEI numbers, which enable scams and system abuse.

Apple's Position

Apple's iOS runs on an approximate 4.5% of the 735 million smartphones in India, with the vast majority using Android, as per market research. While Apple includes its own first-party applications on its devices, its company guidelines reportedly prohibit the installation of any government app before the sale of a device.

“Apple has in the past refused such demands from authorities,” said Tarun Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint.

“It’s expected to aim for a compromise: instead of a mandatory inclusion, they might discuss and ask for an option to encourage users towards installing the application.”

Requests for comment from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi were unanswered. India’s telecoms department also remained silent.

The Role of the IMEI and the App's Purpose

The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a 14- to 17-digit number assigned to each handset. It is primarily used by carriers to block cellular access for phones reported as lost.

The government application is mainly designed to help users block and track missing smartphones across all mobile carriers, using a national database. It also allows them to identify, and disconnect, unauthorised mobile connections.

Notable Adoption and Results

With over 5 million installs since its release, the software has already helped block more than 3.7 million missing mobile phones. Furthermore, more than 30 million illegal connections have also been terminated through its use.

The government asserts that the software aids in preventing cyberthreats and assists in the tracking and blocking of missing phones, thereby helping police in recovering handsets and keeping counterfeits out of the black market.