India has mandated that all new smartphones sold in the country must come pre-installed with the government's Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity application, giving manufacturers 90 days to comply. The directive from the Department of Telecommunications requires the app to be "readily visible and accessible" during device setup, with functionalities that "cannot be disabled or restricted."
While Communications Minister Jyotiradtiya Scindia clarified that users can delete the app if they choose, concerns remain about how this aligns with the non-restriction clause. The app, designed to help verify device authenticity and report telecom resource misuse, requests extensive permissions including access to call logs, messages, camera, photos, and files.
Privacy advocates and tech analysts have raised alarms about potential surveillance implications, noting the app's broad access permissions contradict standard privacy practices. Apple reportedly intends to challenge the directive, which also conflicts with most manufacturers' policies against pre-installing third-party apps. The move aims to combat duplicate IMEI numbers and phone theft in India's vast second-hand market, having already helped recover over 700,000 lost devices since its January launch.
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