🔗 Share this article

In a major decision, India's telecommunications ministry has privately directed mobile phone makers to include all new handsets with a government-backed cybersecurity app that is non-removable. This directive, which was revealed, is expected to antagonise leading technology companies like Apple and prompt concerns among consumer watchdogs.

An International Pattern in Cybersecurity Policy

Addressing a growing wave of cybercrime and device misuse, India is joining authorities across the globe. This step echoes recent measures framed in nations like Russia, which seek to prevent the use of stolen phones for fraud and promote official applications.

Which Companies Are Bound by the Order?

The new order binds key smartphone brands active in the domestic market. These include Apple, a company that has in the past had disagreements with regulators over similar apps, as well as leaders like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Details of the Official Order

An order dated 28 November gives smartphone manufacturers a three-month deadline to ensure that the official "Messenger Friend" application is pre-installed on all new devices. A critical stipulation is that users cannot disable the software.

For devices already in the distribution network, companies are directed to push the application via system upgrades. It is notable that this directive was not made public and was dispatched selectively to chosen companies.

Privacy Apprehensions Voiced

However, technology specialists have flagged serious apprehensions regarding this policy. A lawyer focusing in tech issues stated that India's step is a cause for concern.

“The government in essence erodes user consent as a meaningful choice,” said Mishi Choudhary, an advocate working on internet rights matters.

Privacy advocates had also condemned a comparable mandate by Russia in August for a state-backed communication app to be included on phones.

The Size of the Indian Smartphone Landscape

India, one of the world's biggest telephone markets, boasts more than 1.2 billion connections. Government data show that the Sanchar Saathi application, introduced in January, has reportedly helped recovering more than 700,000 lost phones, with around 50,000 found in October alone.

The authorities contends that the app is essential to fight the “significant endangerment” of mobile network cybersecurity from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which are used for fraud and system misuse.

The Tech Giant's Likely Response

Apple's iOS runs on an approximate 4.5% of the 735 million mobile phones in India, with the vast majority using Android, as per market research. While Apple includes its own proprietary apps on its devices, its company policies reportedly prohibit the inclusion of any third-party app before the sale of a smartphone.

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

“It’s likely to pursue a compromise: rather than a mandatory pre-install, they might discuss and propose an alternative to encourage users towards downloading the application.”

Queries for response from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi were unanswered. India’s telecommunications department also offered no comment.

Understanding the IMEI and the Application's Function

The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a unique identification number unique to each handset. It is most commonly used by carriers to cut off network access for phones flagged as lost.

The government app is primarily intended to enable users block and track missing phones across all mobile carriers, using a central database. It also enables them to detect, and terminate, fraudulent mobile connections.

Impressive Adoption and Outcomes

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

The authorities asserts that the tool helps combating cyberthreats and helps in the locating and disabling of missing phones, thereby helping police in recovering devices and keeping counterfeits out of the black market.