India Mandates Pre-Installation of Cyber Security App, Sanchar Saathi, on All Smartphones
New Delhi – India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has ordered all smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the government-developed Sanchar Saathi app on all devices sold in the country, effective immediately. the move, announced this week, aims to enhance cybersecurity and combat mobile fraud, especially within India’s large second-hand device market.
Launched in January, Sanchar Saathi allows users to verify a device’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) – a unique 15-digit code serving as the phone’s serial number - report lost or stolen mobile phones, and identify potential fraudulent communications. The DoT stated that handsets utilizing duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers present a “serious endangerment” to telecom cyber security.
The new regulations stipulate that the app must be “readily visible and accessible” during device setup and its functionalities cannot be disabled or restricted by users. Manufacturers are also required to provide the app via software updates for devices already manufactured but not yet sold.Companies have been given 120 days to submit compliance reports.
The mandate has drawn criticism from digital rights groups, including the Internet Freedom Foundation, which argued the requirement effectively turns every smartphone into a platform for “state mandated software that the user cannot meaningfully refuse, control, or remove.” The app’s privacy policy grants it broad permissions, including the ability to make and manage phone calls, send messages, and access photos, files, and the camera.
Responding to concerns, India’s Minister of Communications, Jyotiradtiya Scindia, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the app is “completely voluntary” and users can “easily delete it from their phone at any time” if they choose not to use it. However, the Minister did not detail how deletion would be possible given the app’s non-disableable nature.
The DoT highlighted the prevalence of resold stolen or blacklisted devices in India, stating that purchasers of such devices may unknowingly become “abetters in crime” and suffer financial losses.
