India Mandates Pre-Installation of ‘Sanchar Saathi’ App on Smartphones to Combat Telecom Fraud
New Delhi – India’sโค Ministry of Communications โhasโค directed smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app onโ all devices sold in the country, effective January 15, 2024. The move, announced thisโ week, aims โขto curb telecom fraud, including SIM โswap fraud,โข cyber fraud, and theโ proliferation of fraudulent mobile devices.
The โขdirective impacts all major โsmartphone brands operating in India, requiring them โฃto integrate the app into their operating โขsystems before โขsale. Sanchar Saathi, developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), allows users to identify fraudulent mobile devices, report cybercrime, and track โขthe authenticity of SIM cards.โค The initiative comesโค as India โgrapples โwith a surge in financialโฃ crimes facilitated through โmobile networks, costing citizens billions of rupees annually.
The app’sโค core functionality includes a public interface for citizens to register complaintsโ about โขunsolicited calls andโ SMS messages, as well as aโฃ platformโ for verifying the legitimacy of mobile handsets. It also provides a mechanism to block suspicious SIM cards and report instances of fraudโข to law โenforcement agencies. โThe DoT estimates that the app will help protect โคconsumers from financial losses โand enhance national security by disrupting criminal networks.
Manufacturers have been given a timeframe to comply with the order, with ongoing discussions regarding theโ technical implementation โandโข potential impact on deviceโ costs. The goverment has emphasized that the pre-installation โคis intended to be a proactive measure to safeguardโ citizens and strengthen the digital โขinfrastructure.
