- India issued an order to pre-install a state application on all smartphones
- The move has generated backlash due to privacy concerns.
- The government said it is a way to stop cybercrime and piracy
India’s Telecom Ministry is forcing smartphone vendors to install a state-owned security app, drawing heavy criticism over privacy concerns.
The Nov. 28 directive, first reported by PakGazette, requires smartphone makers to preload all new devices with the Sanchar Saathi app, while existing phones will have to download the app through a software update. Crucially, users will not be able to remove the software from their phone.
The Indian government said the move is aimed at addressing the recent rise in cybercrimes and hacking incidents.
While Apple, Google, Samsung and other phone-making companies have so far remained silent, digital rights groups are “deeply concerned” about the requirement, which they believe could endanger people’s rights.
Although the full text of the order is not yet available, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) maintains that the order represents a “sharp and deeply troubling” expansion of executive control over citizens’ digital devices.
“Today, the app can be framed as a benign IMEI checker. Tomorrow, through a server-side update, it could be repurposed for client-side scanning for ‘banned’ apps,” he notes. “Using VPNs, correlating SIM activity or tracking SMS logs in the name of fraud detection,” the civil society organization wrote in a statement.
We’ve reached out to Apple and Google for comment and will update the page as soon as we hear back.
What is Sanchar Saathi app and why could it be harmful to privacy?
Citizens can use the app to report scams in real time, allowing authorities to track and respond to cybercrimes more effectively.
Although the application can be useful, experts criticize that it does not take into account the user’s choice. As IFF argues: “This turns every smartphone sold in India into a vessel for state-mandated software that the user cannot meaningfully reject, control or delete.”
IFF Statement on Sanchar Saathi App Pre-Installation Directive The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), specifically its AI and Digital Intelligence Unit (AI and DIU) on November 21, 2024, under the Telecom (Telecom Cybersecurity) Rules, 2024 issued a…December 2, 2025
The IFF’s comments echo concerns raised by technology lawyer Mishi Choudhary, who told PakGazette: “The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful option.”
However, the concerns go beyond user choice. There is a real risk that current or future governments could expand the reach of the app, effectively turning it into a surveillance tool, which would compromise privacy even for those using one of the best VPN services.
As the IFF notes, “Nothing in the order limits these possibilities.”
The IFF has now lodged a complaint with India’s telecom body and says it will continue to fight “until it is terminated”. It now remains to be seen whether companies like Apple and Google will also do the same to defy the order.
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