In a major step, India's telecommunications authority has discreetly directed smartphone makers to preload all new devices with a national cybersecurity tool that must remain installed. This mandate, which has been disclosed, is set to antagonise leading technology companies like Apple and prompt questions among consumer watchdogs.
Addressing a rising tide of cybercrime and phone theft, India is following authorities worldwide. This move mirrors similar measures introduced in nations like Russia, which seek to block the use of lost phones for scams and promote government-developed applications.
The recent directive binds key smartphone companies operating in the Indian market. This encompasses Apple, which has in the past locked horns with the telecom authority over similar apps, as well as giants like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.
An order dated 28 November provides smartphone companies a 90-day deadline to guarantee that the official "Messenger Friend" app is pre-installed on all new mobile phones. A critical provision is that users will not be able to remove the app.
For devices already in the supply chain, manufacturers are directed to deliver the app via software patches. It is notable that this order was not made public and was dispatched privately to select firms.
However, technology experts have flagged serious worries regarding this policy. A legal expert specialising in technology matters commented that India's directive is a cause for concern.
“The government in essence eliminates user consent as a genuine choice,” stated Mishi Choudhary, an advocate working on digital advocacy matters.
Digital rights groups had previously criticised a similar mandate by Russia in August for a government-sponsored communication called Max to be included on phones.
India, among the world's largest mobile markets, boasts more than 1.2 billion subscribers. Government statistics reveal that the Sanchar Saathi application, introduced in January, has reportedly helped recovering more than 700,000 lost phones, with around 50,000 recovered in October by itself.
The government contends that the tool is vital to tackle the “grave endangerment” of mobile network cybersecurity from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which facilitate fraud and network misuse.
Apple's iOS powers an approximate 4.5% of the 735 million smartphones in India, with the rest using Android, as per market research. While Apple pre-installs its own proprietary applications on its devices, its internal policies reportedly forbid the installation of any third-party app before the purchase of a smartphone.
“Apple has historically resisted these kinds of demands from authorities,” said Tarun Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint.
“It’s probable to seek a compromise: rather than a compulsory pre-install, they might negotiate and ask for an alternative to prompt users towards installing the application.”
Queries for comment from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi went unresponded. India’s telecoms ministry also remained silent.
The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a unique identification number assigned to each handset. It is primarily used by carriers to disable cellular access for phones flagged as lost.
The Sanchar Saathi application is mainly intended to enable users track and locate lost or stolen phones across all telecom networks, using a national registry. It also lets them to spot, and disconnect, fraudulent mobile connections.
With more than 5 million installs since its inception, the software has reportedly been used to disable over 3.7 million stolen or lost mobile phones. Furthermore, more than 30 million illegal connections have also been disconnected through its use.
The authorities states that the software helps preventing cyberthreats and assists in the locating and blocking of lost or stolen phones, thereby aiding police in tracing devices and preventing counterfeits out of the illicit trade.
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