🔗 Share this article

In a major move, India's telecommunications department has privately asked mobile phone makers to include all new handsets with a state-owned cybersecurity tool that must remain installed. This directive, which has been disclosed, is set to concern leading technology firms like Apple and prompt concerns among privacy advocates.

A Worldwide Pattern in Digital Security Regulation

Addressing a rising tide of online fraud and hacking, India is following authorities internationally. This move parallels comparable rules enacted in nations like Russia, which aim to block the use of stolen phones for fraud and push state-backed applications.

Which Manufacturers Are Impacted by the Directive?

The recent directive affects key mobile phone companies active in the Indian market. These include Apple, which has in the past locked horns with regulators over comparable applications, as well as leaders like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Specifics of the Official Mandate

An directive dated 28 November gives phone manufacturers a 90-day period to ensure that the official "Messenger Friend" app is factory-loaded on all new mobile phones. A notable provision is that owners are prevented from deleting the app.

For phones currently in the retail pipeline, companies are directed to push the app via system upgrades. It is notable that this directive was not made public and was sent selectively to chosen companies.

User Consent Concerns Voiced

However, legal analysts have expressed significant apprehensions regarding this decision. A lawyer focusing in tech matters commented that India's step is a worrying development.

“The government effectively erodes user consent as a meaningful choice,” stated Mishi Choudhary, an advocate working on internet rights matters.

Privacy advocates had earlier criticised a similar requirement by Russia in August for a government-sponsored messenger app to be included on phones.

The Size of the Domestic Market

India, one of the world's biggest mobile markets, boasts more than 1.2 billion connections. Government figures indicate that the Sanchar Saathi app, launched in January, has reportedly helped locating over 700,000 lost phones, with around 50,000 found in October by itself.

The authorities contends that the app is essential to fight the “significant endangerment” of mobile network cybersecurity from cloned or tampered IMEI numbers, which facilitate fraud and system misuse.

Apple's Likely Response

Apple's iOS powers an estimated 4.5% of the 735 million mobile phones in India, with the vast majority using Android, according to industry analysis. While Apple includes its own first-party applications on its devices, its internal guidelines reportedly forbid the inclusion of any third-party app before the sale of a smartphone.

“Apple has in the past refused such mandates from authorities,” commented Tarun Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint.

“It’s expected to aim for a negotiated solution: instead of a compulsory inclusion, they might negotiate and ask for an alternative to prompt users towards installing the application.”

Queries for response from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi were unresponded. India’s telecommunications department also did not respond.

Understanding the IMEI and the App's Function

The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a unique identification number assigned to each handset. It is typically used by networks to block network access for phones reported as lost.

The government app is mainly intended to enable users track and locate lost or stolen smartphones across all telecom networks, using a central database. It also enables them to spot, and disconnect, unauthorised mobile connections.

Notable Adoption and Results

With more than 5 million downloads since its launch, the software has already been used to block over 3.7 million missing mobile phones. Furthermore, more than 30 million illegal connections have also been disconnected through its use.

The authorities states that the tool helps preventing cyberthreats and assists in the tracking and disabling of lost or stolen phones, thereby helping police in tracing handsets and keeping counterfeits out of the illicit trade.