India’s recent directive mandating smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government-operated cybersecurity application has stirred significant debate regarding user privacy among the nation’s 1.16 billion mobile phone users. The app, named Sanchar Saathi, which translates to “communication partner” in Hindi, is touted by the government as a means to enhance protection against fraud and other cyber threats.
The Indian government has granted major players in the smartphone industry, including Apple, Google’s Android, and Xiaomi, a 90-day window to comply with this new regulation. The stipulations require that the app be pre-installed on all mobile devices manufactured or imported for use within India. Furthermore, the government has emphasized that the app must be “readily visible and accessible” to users during the initial setup of their devices, ensuring its functionalities remain fully operational and are not restricted.
Among its features, Sanchar Saathi allows users to block and track lost or stolen phones and helps identify and disconnect fraudulent mobile subscriptions made in their name. Official figures indicate that the app has already assisted in tracing over 2.6 million devices. However, this initiative has not been without its critics.
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<figcaption class="Figurecaption_fS2lN” readability=”3″>The plan has prompted an outcry of concern from privacy advocates and opposition MPs in India. (Reuters: Bhawika Chhabra/File Photo)
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), an advocacy group, has voiced its apprehensions regarding the directive, describing it as a troubling expansion of governmental control over personal digital devices. In a statement shared on social media platform X, the IFF expressed that the order compels every smartphone user in India to accept an indefinite surveillance capability on their personal devices, lacking the necessary safeguards that a constitutional democracy should uphold.
For devices already in circulation, the government has mandated that manufacturers and importers endeavor to push the app through software updates, ensuring compliance across the existing market.
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In response to the backlash, India’s telecom minister, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, characterized the app as a “voluntary and democratic system,” asserting that users have the option to activate it and can easily remove it from their devices at any time. However, cybersecurity analyst Nikhil Pahwa has raised concerns about the potential invasion of privacy, questioning the app’s access to unencrypted files and messages on users’ devices and the implications of future updates.
Political opposition has also emerged, with members of the Congress party calling for an immediate retraction of the order, labeling it unconstitutional. Congress politician KC Venugopal articulated his concerns on social media, stating, “Big Brother cannot watch us,” and describing the pre-loaded government app as a dystopian tool for monitoring the lives of every citizen.
This situation echoes a similar directive issued by Russia in August, which mandated the inclusion of a new messaging platform called Max on all new phones and tablets, raising alarms among rights advocates regarding its potential use as a surveillance mechanism.
