India is installing a state-owned app on all smartphones

The Indian Government has ordered smartphone makers to pre-install a Government owned cybersecurity app on all devices in the country.

Manufacturers including Apple and Samsung will have 90 days to comply with the order.

The move has been met with criticism from opposition parties and advocacy organisations.

The Government has defended its mandate, saying the app is not for “surveillance” but instead will encourage citizens to “actively participate in protecting their own digital ecosystem.”

The app

Sanchar Saathi (‘Communication Partner’) is already available to download on Indian app stores.

It is advertised as a citizen safety tool, allowing users to block and track lost or stolen mobile phones.

Additional features include the ability to report suspected fraudulent calls as well as verify second-hand devices before purchase.

The Government says the app has been downloaded over 10 million times, leading to the shut down of more than four million fraudulent numbers.

Mandate

Earlier this week, the Government issued a directive to mobile manufacturers to pre-load Sanchar Saathi on all devices.

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It said the app must be “easily accessible during device setup, with no disabling or restriction of its features.”

Government officials said the mandate was made to “safeguard citizens from buying non-genuine handsets.”

Manufacturers have 90 days to install the app on their devices, and 120 days to report the successful rollout to the Government.

Criticism

The Government’s main opposition, the Congress Party, has called for the mandate to be rolled back.

They have accused the Government of “spying” on citizens through the app, with Opposition Leader Mallikarjun Kharge calling the directive “akin to dictatorship.”

Digital rights advocacy organisation Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) called the mandate “structurally hostile to user privacy and autonomy,” and said it would “fight the direction till it is rescinded.”

Comments

Communications Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia defended the mandate, saying Sanchar Saathi is “completely democratic and fully voluntary.”

Scindia also clarified that the app only activates after voluntary registration, and that users may delete the app anytime.

IFF said this clarification is incorrect since the original direction “clearly states… that Sanchar Saathi cannot be ‘disabled or restricted.’”