Telecom regulators in India have reportedly asked smartphone makers to pre-load a state-owned cybersecurity app, which cannot be removed, on all new devices, and ship the app to existing devices through a software update. reuters The report said that, according to a non-public government order sent to manufacturers, Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and others were given 90 days to comply.
The app in question is called Sanchar Saathi (meaning communication partner), and its main purpose is fraud prevention with devices that allow users to report lost or stolen devices and lock them. according to reutersAccording to reports, the app has seen 5 million downloads since its release and has helped block 3.7 million stolen or lost phones in India. An additional 30 million fraudulent connections have reportedly been terminated using the app.
“If I lose my phone, the app immediately comes to my phone, which I can register and ensure that my phone is not being used by any fraudulent person. This is a step towards consumer safety,” Telecom Minister Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said in an interview with CNBC. The minister said the establishment order should be issued in the “next few days”.
How smartphone makers will respond remains to be seen. For its part, Apple doesn’t have the strongest history of standing up to governments that oversees big markets for the company. Just a few weeks ago, Apple removed two of the largest LGBTQ+ dating apps from the Chinese App Store at the request of the government. In 2019 the iPhone maker removed a Hong Kong protest app after pressure from Chinese authorities. The company is also tangling with India as it looks to shift US-based iPhone production to the country.
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