India’s Mandatory App Order: Will Apple & Others Break Its Privacy Norms to Comply?

Report: Sanchar Saathi App to be Preinstalled & Non-Removable on All New Mobiles

Image: Onur Binay / Unsplash

    The battle between national sovereignty and the Tech giant’s global operating system has met its match in India. According to a new report by the credible news outlet Reuters, the Indian government has silently ordered mobile tech companies to pre-install the government-run cybersecurity app “Sanchar Saathi” on all mobile phones.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued an order to different companies, not merely as a suggestion, but making it mandatory for all new mobile phones to be compliant. It not only mandates the Sanchar Saathi app to be installed within a 90-day period, but it also includes a crucial point raising concerns among all privacy experts: users will not be allowed to delete it. For phones already in circulation, manufacturers are required to introduce this feature via a security or software update.

The main purpose of this new app is to track mobile phones via IMEI for tracking devices, but the aspect triggering immediate alarm bells regarding privacy is the non-removable behavior of a government app on private phones.

The Sanchar Saathi (which translates roughly to "Communication Companion") is a mobile app and citizen-centric portal initiative launched to empower mobile subscribers. Its primary features include:

1. CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register): Tracking and blocking lost or stolen phones through IMEI.
2. TAFCOP (Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management): Allowing users to check how many mobile connections are registered in their name.

Although many devices have been recovered with the launch of this initiative, making it a permanent fixture on private smartphones, one that tracks your mobile is a reality that bothers not only the privacy norms of tech giants but also the user's point of view.

The major and most effective impact of this new directive is on Apple’s walled garden, which is now under siege. For many years, the Silicon Valley giant has been considered the one company that does not allow third-party apps to be pre-installed on iOS, except for its own native apps, which cannot be deleted. Unlike Android manufacturers, who often preload third-party software (bloatware) from carriers or partners, Apple maintains a strict "clean" image. The company’s internal policy generally does not allow any third-party apps to be pre-installed on iOS, and you can easily feel it. You will find the same experience whether opening an iPhone in the USA, UAE, or India; the software experience is identical. This situation is critical for the Cupertino-based company because:

• If Apple agrees to pre-install a government app in India, other nations (like Russia or China) will immediately demand the same real estate on the iPhone home screen.
• Apple’s "Walled Garden" relies on the premise that Apple vets every line of code. A government-mandated app that cannot be deleted implies a level of system access that Apple typically refuses to grant.
• Apple markets itself as the privacy-first option. Shipping phones with a government tracker, even a benevolent one, undercuts their primary marketing narrative.

On the flip side, things are not all well for Android-based companies, especially Samsung. Although Samsung allows third-party apps to be introduced in their software, they typically allow users to delete them. Most importantly, they do not usually allow any government app to be pre-built and non-removable. As we know, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo hold a 90% share of the Indian smartphone market, but they are caught in a very hard situation. If Apple resists and these companies do not, it will be a very unpleasant gesture towards users regarding privacy.

Besides the corporate privacy concerns, there is also a huge potential issue for the future. Today, the app tracks IMEI numbers to find stolen phones. If tomorrow the app brings an update that allows it to scan message headers or location data for "security purposes," what then?

A mandatory app creates a single point of failure. If the Sanchar Saathi app itself is hacked, every phone in India becomes vulnerable simultaneously. So, where will user security be placed? Are smartphone companies ready to bear this heavy burden on their reputations? Or will they resist, as the 90-day clock is ticking? The main remaining question is whether this is just speculation or whether such an event has happened between the government and companies. If this holds true, the days of unboxing a truly "clean" smartphone might be numbered for the Indian consumer.

Stay tuned for future updates, and share your comments in the section below.

Image: Onur Binay on Unsplash