🔗 Share this article

In a significant move, India's telecommunications authority has privately directed mobile phone makers to preload all new devices with a government-backed cybersecurity tool that is non-removable. This mandate, which has been disclosed, is likely to concern major technology companies like Apple and raise questions among privacy advocates.

A Worldwide Pattern in Cybersecurity Regulation

To combat a recent surge of online fraud and hacking, The Indian authorities is aligning with regulators across the globe. This step parallels comparable rules framed in countries like Russia, which seek to block the use of stolen phones for fraud and push government-developed tools.

What Companies Are Bound by the Directive?

The new order affects key mobile phone makers active in the domestic market. These include Apple, which has previously locked horns with regulators over similar apps, as well as giants like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Details of the Government Order

An directive dated 28 November allots smartphone manufacturers a 90-day window to ensure that the official "Messenger Friend" app is pre-installed on all new devices. A critical condition is that users are prevented from deleting the application.

For phones already in the distribution network, manufacturers are directed to send the app via software upgrades. It is notable that this order was not made public and was dispatched in confidence to chosen manufacturers.

Privacy Concerns Expressed

However, legal experts have flagged significant apprehensions regarding this policy. A lawyer focusing in technology law said that India's action is a cause for concern.

“The government in essence eliminates user consent as a genuine choice,” said Mishi Choudhary, an advocate working on internet rights issues.

Privacy advocates had earlier questioned a comparable mandate by Russia in August for a state-backed messenger app to be pre-installed on phones.

The Scale of the Domestic Smartphone Landscape

India, among the world's largest telephone markets, boasts over 1.2 billion subscribers. Government statistics show that the Sanchar Saathi app, launched in January, has reportedly helped recovering more than 700,000 stolen phones, with approximately 50,000 found in October alone.

The authorities contends that the tool is essential to fight the “significant endangerment” of telecom cybersecurity from cloned or tampered IMEI numbers, which facilitate scams and system misuse.

Apple's Stance

Apple's iOS powers an estimated 4.5% of the 735 million smartphones in India, with the rest using Android, as per market research. While Apple includes its own first-party applications on its devices, its company guidelines reportedly prohibit the inclusion of any government app before the sale of a smartphone.

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

“It’s likely to pursue a negotiated solution: rather than a forced pre-install, they might negotiate and ask for an alternative to prompt users towards installing the application.”

Queries for response from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi went unresponded. India’s telecommunications ministry also offered no comment.

Understanding the IMEI and the App's Purpose

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

The Sanchar Saathi app is chiefly designed to help users block and track missing smartphones across all telecom networks, using a national registry. It also allows them to spot, and block, illegal mobile connections.

Notable Usage and Results

With more than 5 million installs since its launch, the app has reportedly been used to disable over 3.7 million missing mobile phones. Furthermore, over 30 million illegal connections have also been blocked through its use.

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