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Cyber ​​Safety App: In a major move, the Indian government has directed all smartphone companies to sell new phones with a state-run cyber security app pre-installed.

Cyber ​​Safety App: In a major move, the Indian government has directed all smartphone companies to sell new phones with a state-run cyber security app pre-installed. This app cannot be deleted, and this could cause problems for tech companies, especially Apple.

Every new phone will have the unremovable Sanchar Saathi app.

According to a government order issued on November 28th, all major companies like Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo must ensure that every new phone comes with the Sanchar Saathi app within the next 90 days. Phones already shipped to the supply chain will be mandatorily equipped with the app via a software update. This order was not made public but was sent privately to select companies.

Why did the government deem this step necessary?

According to the government, cyberattacks on the telecommunications sector and crimes related to IMEI number duplication are rapidly increasing. Using duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, scammers commit fraud, misuse networks, and complicate tracing. The Sanchar Saathi app helps prevent these problems.

Users can block stolen or lost mobile phones, check IMEI numbers, report suspicious calls, and track phones through the central registry. According to government data, this app has helped locate more than 700,000 lost phones since January, with 50,000 recovered in October alone.

Why is Apple in the most trouble?

Apple generally does not allow any third-party or government apps to be pre-installed on its iPhones. According to its policy, pre-loading any external app before selling a phone is prohibited. Apple has rejected such requests before. According to a Reuters report, Taran Pathak of Counterpoint Research says that Apple may try to find a middle ground instead of directly complying with this order, such as simply prompting users to install the app, rather than requiring preloading. This would be easier for Android phone manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Vivo to implement, as it's possible to add system-level apps to Android.

How effective is the Sanchar Saathi app?

The government figures are quite impressive:

Over 5 million downloads
Over 3.7 million stolen/lost phones blocked
Over 30 million fake mobile connections blocked
Reduced sales of counterfeit phones on the black market

The government claims this move will strengthen cybersecurity and make it easier for criminals to access them.

How will it affect you?

The app will not cause any problems for ordinary users.

Benefits:

Immediately blocks the phone if stolen
IMEI and call verification features
Cyber ​​fraud protection
But privacy activists and brands like Apple may consider this an intrusion on user freedom.