India Mandates Cyber Safety App on All New Smartphones, Igniting Privacy Concerns

Wed Dec 03 2025 04:53:25 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Indian government's latest directive requires all new smartphones to be pre-loaded with a state-run cyber safety app, raising alarms over user privacy and data security.

In a significant move for mobile security, India has ordered all smartphone manufacturers to install the Sanchar Saathi app on new devices within 90 days. While the government claims this app will enhance cybersecurity for its over 1.2 billion mobile users, critics argue it infringes on individual privacy rights. The app, which is designed to verify handsets and report misuse, is mandatory and cannot be disabled. This regulatory change has drawn skepticism from cyber experts and major smartphone manufacturers like Apple.

India has ordered all new smartphones to come pre-loaded with a non-removable, state-run cybersecurity app, sparking privacy concerns.

Under the order - passed last week but made public on Monday - smartphone makers have 90 days to ensure all new devices come with the government's Sanchar Saathi app.

The decision aims to assist citizens in verifying the authenticity of handsets and reporting the suspected misuse of telecom resources.

However, this move in one of the world's largest phone markets, with over 1.2 billion mobile users, has been criticized by cyber experts who argue it breaches the right to privacy.

The Sanchar Saathi app, launched in January, allows users to check a device's IMEI, report lost or stolen phones, and flag fraud communications. The IMEI is a unique 15-digit code identifying mobile devices.

India's Department of Telecommunications stated that mobile handsets with duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers pose serious risks to telecom cybersecurity.

They noted that the second-hand mobile device market in India is significant, with instances of stolen or blacklisted devices being resold, making unsuspecting purchasers 'abettors in crime.'

Moving forward, the pre-installed app must be easily accessible to users upon device setup, and its functionalities cannot be restricted. Manufacturers also have to attempt to provide the app through software updates for unsold devices.

All companies are required to report compliance regarding this order in 120 days.

The Indian government asserts that the app will enhance telecom cybersecurity, with reports indicating it has helped recover over 700,000 lost phones, including 50,000 in October alone.

However, experts remain concerned about the broad permissions the app requests. Advocacy groups stress that the software transforms every smartphone into a vehicle for state-mandated software, infringing users' ability to control what is installed on their personal devices.

Technology analysts highlight the difficulty smartphone manufacturers may face complying with this order, especially with companies like Apple, known for declining government impositions of pre-installed apps outside its normal operating procedures.

This trend is not isolated to India; similar regulations mandating state-backed applications have emerged in other countries, like Russia.