Indian govt wants smartphone makers to preload State-owned app: Report

India’s telecom ministry has discreetly instructed smartphone manufacturers to embed a government-run cyber security app into every new handset — and to do so in a way that prevents users from deleting it — according to an internal directive obtained by Reuters. The move, framed as a response to surging cyber crime, places India among a growing list of governments, including Russia, that are normalising pre-installed State software under the banner of “public safety”.

The 28 November order, which the ministry circulated privately to select companies rather than publishing openly, gives device makers such as Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo 90 days to ensure the Sanchar Saathi app appears on all newly sold phones. For devices already cleared for sale, companies are expected to forcibly install the app through software updates, Reuters reported.

Critics say the secrecy of the directive and the government’s insistence on a non-removable app reflect a worrying slide towards expanded state surveillance — all without public consultation or legislative scrutiny.

A lawyer specialising in technology law, Mishi Choudhary, told Reuters that by mandating an app users cannot decline, the government is effectively eliminating consent altogether. Her comments, paraphrased, underscored the central concern: users now have no control over what software the state places on their personal devices.

Civil liberties groups have drawn parallels with Moscow’s recent requirement that all smartphones ship with a government messaging service, warning that India appears to be adopting the same playbook — broadening state access to citizens’ digital lives under the justification of fighting fraud.

The government, meanwhile, is promoting Sanchar Saathi as essential to combating cloned or spoofed IMEI numbers and fraud-linked handset misuse. Officials cite figures suggesting the app has helped trace more than 700,000 lost devices, including about 50,000 in October. But privacy advocates argue that the scale of the surveillance architecture being constructed far exceeds the stated purpose.

The directive is expected to reignite tensions with Apple, which has long resisted government attempts to pre-load official apps. A source familiar with Apple’s internal policies told Reuters the company does not permit the pre-installation of third-party or government apps on its devices. Counterpoint Research’s Tarun Pathak noted — in comments paraphrased from Reuters — that Apple has consistently refused similar demands worldwide and would likely seek a workaround, such as making the app optional rather than compulsory.

Neither the telecoms ministry nor handset makers including Apple, Google, Samsung and Xiaomi responded to Reuters’ requests for comment on the order.

Sanchar Saathi functions through the IMEI system, enabling authorities to block stolen handsets, identify fraudulent mobile connections and assist police investigations. According to government claims, the app has amassed more than 5 million downloads and has been used to block over 3.7 million lost or stolen phones and terminate more than 30 million suspect connections.

But critics warn that the expanding mandate creates far more questions than answers: Why must the app be undeletable? Why was the directive issued in private? And what safeguards, if any, govern the state’s access to the data generated? Without clarity, they argue, India risks dressing mass surveillance in the language of cyber security — and expecting the public not to notice.