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In a major decision, India's telecoms department has discreetly directed smartphone makers to preload all new devices with a national cybersecurity app that must remain installed. This mandate, which has come to light, is likely to alarm leading tech companies like Apple and prompt concerns among consumer watchdogs.

A Worldwide Shift in Digital Security Policy

Addressing a rising tide of cybercrime and device misuse, India is joining authorities worldwide. This step echoes similar rules framed in countries like Russia, which are designed to curb the use of lost phones for scams and push government-developed service apps.

Which Companies Are Affected by the Directive?

The recent order affects leading smartphone companies active in the Indian market. Among them are Apple, which has in the past had disagreements with the telecom authority over similar apps, as well as giants like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Specifics of the Government Order

An order dated 28 November allots phone companies a 90-day window to ensure that the government's Sanchar Saathi application is factory-loaded on all new handsets. A notable provision is that owners will not be able to remove the application.

For phones currently in the retail pipeline, companies are required to deliver the app via system updates. It is worth mentioning that this directive was not made public and was communicated in confidence to specific companies.

User Consent Worries Raised

However, technology experts have expressed serious worries regarding this move. A legal expert specialising in tech law commented that India's directive is a cause for concern.

“The government in essence erodes user consent as a meaningful choice,” commented Mishi Choudhary, an advocate working on internet advocacy issues.

Privacy advocates had earlier condemned a similar requirement by Russia in August for a government-sponsored communication called Max to be included on phones.

The Scope of the Indian Smartphone Landscape

India, one of the world's biggest telephone markets, boasts over 1.2 billion subscribers. Official figures show that the Sanchar Saathi application, launched in January, has reportedly helped recovering over 700,000 stolen phones, with around 50,000 recovered in October by itself.

The authorities argues that the tool is crucial to tackle the “grave endangerment” of telecom cybersecurity from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which are used for scams and system abuse.

Apple's Likely Response

Apple's iOS runs on an approximate 4.5% of the 735 million smartphones in India, with the vast majority using Android, as per industry analysis. While Apple includes its own first-party apps on its devices, its internal rules are said to prohibit the installation of any third-party application before the sale of a device.

“Apple has traditionally declined these kinds of mandates from governments,” noted Tarun Pathak, a analyst at Counterpoint.

“It’s expected to aim for a compromise: instead of a compulsory inclusion, they might discuss and ask for an alternative to prompt users towards installing the app.”

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

The Role of the IMEI and the App's Function

The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a unique identification number assigned to each handset. It is most commonly used by networks to block network access for phones reported as stolen.

The Sanchar Saathi application is mainly intended to help users block and track missing phones across all mobile carriers, using a national registry. It also enables them to detect, and terminate, illegal mobile connections.

Impressive Usage and Results

With more than 5 million downloads since its inception, the app has already been used to block more than 3.7 million missing mobile phones. Furthermore, over 30 million fraudulent connections have also been blocked through its use.

The authorities asserts that the app helps preventing cyberthreats and assists in the locating and disabling of lost or stolen phones, thereby aiding police in tracing handsets and keeping cloned devices out of the black market.