The Indian government has ordered smartphone makers to pre-install a state-run cybersecurity app on all new devices and bar users from removing it. a statement said the government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB).
According to Reuters news agency, the November 28 order gives major manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo 90 days to preload the “Sanchar Saathi” app on new phones.
The directive said devices already in use would have to receive the app through a software update, which was released to the companies privately.
There is no option for users to disable the app
According to the government press release, the app should be pre-installed, visible and fully functional at first setup, with no option for users to disable it.
The government says the app is needed to tackle rising cyber crime, fake identity numbers and phone fraud, saying on its website that it aims to “empower mobile customers, strengthen their security and raise awareness about the government’s citizen-centric initiatives.”
According to official data, Communication Partner helps to block and track lost or stolen devices and has already helped recover more than 700,000 phones.
Privacy advocates likely to get a response from Apple
Privacy experts criticized the mandate, saying it takes away users’ consent.
Advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), in a statement, called the move “a rapid and deeply worrying expansion of executive control over personal digital devices.”
“This turns every smartphone sold in India into a vessel for state-mandated software that the user cannot meaningfully reject, control, or remove,” the IFF statement said.
IFF said it would challenge the mandate in court if necessary.
Opposition Congress party leader KC Venugopal criticized the government’s move, calling it “beyond unconstitutional”.
Venugopal wrote on
Russia faced a similar backlash in August when it required state-backed messenger apps on phones.
Privacy experts also point out that while Apple’s policy prohibits pre-installing third-party or government apps, the technology giant historically rejects such requests from governments.
Later, sources told Reuters that Apple did not plan to comply with the order.
Telecom Department ordered SIM binding
India’s telecom regulator also ordered major messaging apps to link each user account to a device’s SIM card and require regular logouts for web sessions to prevent fraud and abuse.
WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat and Signal are among the other apps covered under this mandate and will have to comply within 90 days.
India is one of the largest mobile markets in the world with over 1.2 billion subscribers.
Edited by: Elisabeth Schumacher