NEW DELHI: India has directed smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government-run cyber security app on all mobile devices, a move that has sparked privacy concerns among rights groups and opposition parties.
Under the new rules, manufacturers have 90 days to ensure the app, named Sanchar Saathi (“communication partner” in Hindi), is preloaded on all handsets manufactured or imported for use in India. The app must be readily visible during device setup and its functions cannot be disabled or restricted.
The government said the app helps users block and track lost or stolen phones and identify fake mobile subscriptions. According to official figures, Sanchar Saathi has already helped trace over 2.6 million phones.
However, critics argue the mandate poses serious privacy risks. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) warned that the directive represents “a sharp and deeply worrying expansion of executive control over personal digital devices,” adding that the app could function as an open-ended surveillance tool without constitutional safeguards.
Cyber security analyst Nikhil Pahwa also criticized the move, saying it “clearly” invades user privacy and raises questions about whether future updates could access personal files and messages.
Congress party leaders, including KC Venugopal, called for an immediate rollback, describing the preloaded, non-removable app as a “dystopian tool” to monitor citizens’ interactions and movements.
For devices already on the market, the government has instructed manufacturers and importers to push the app through software updates.
The move mirrors a recent Russian directive that required preloading a government messaging platform called Max on new phones and tablets, which rights advocates also criticized as a potential surveillance tool.
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