India’s telecom ministry has asked smartphone makers to pre-install a government-run cybersecurity app on all new devices that cannot be uninstalled.
India is demanding that Apple and Samsung install a government app that cannot be uninstalled, it reports
India is one of the largest phone markets in the world, with more than 1.2 billion subscribers, and according to government data, the application launched in January helped recover more than 700,000 lost phones, of which 50,000 in October alone, reports epravda.com.ua, citing reuters.com.
Apple, which has already run afoul of the telecoms regulator over the development of the government’s anti-spam app, is one of the companies, along with Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi, that must comply with the requirement.
The November 28 order, seen by Reuters, gives major smartphone makers 90 days to ensure the government’s Sanchar Saathi app is pre-installed on new phones, provided users cannot disable the app.
For devices already in the supply chain, manufacturers must send the app through software updates, according to the ministry’s order, which has not been made public and has been sent privately to select companies.
The government said the app is critical to combating “a serious threat” to telecommunications cybersecurity caused by duplicate or fake IMEI numbers that enable network fraud and abuse.
According to Counterpoint Research data, by mid-2025, Apple’s iOS will run on about 4.5% of India’s 735 million smartphones, with the rest using Android.
