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Backlash as critics label the app a ‘dystopian tool to monitor every Indian’
Maroosha MuzaffarTuesday 02 December 2025 06:01 GMTComments
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India has directed leading smartphone makers to pre-load a government-developed cybersecurity app on every new device and ensure it cannot be removed by users, a move that has sparked concerns about state surveillance.
The quietly-issued directive of 28 November gives device makers 90 days to pre-load the Sanchar Saathi app on all upcoming smartphone models.
For devices already in the supply chain, manufacturers should push the app to phones via software updates, the government said.
Government officials have framed the move as a necessary defence against expanding cyber threats, saying the software enables law enforcement to track stolen devices and prevents counterfeit phones from entering the grey market.
But the order has prompted alarm among privacy advocates and could possibly trigger a confrontation with Apple.
The order, seen by Reuters, was not made public and was shared privately with select brands, including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi. New Delhi argues the measure is vital for tackling a surge in cybercrime, phone-related fraud, and the resale of stolen devices.
The opposition Congress party demanded an immediate rollback and said the move violated citizens’ right to privacy. KC Venugopal, Congress general secretary, said: “Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT (Department of Telecommunications) Direction is beyond unconstitutional.
“The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.
“A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means to watch over every movement, interaction and decision of each citizen.
“This is part of the long series of relentless assaults on the constitutional rights of Indian citizens and will not be allowed to continue.
“We reject this direction and demand an immediate rollback.”
Government data shows the app – launched in January – has supported the recovery of more than 700,000 lost phones, including 50,000 in October alone, and helped cut access to millions of fraudulent mobile connections.
Authorities say Sanchar Saathi aims to prevent what they call “serious endangerment” to telecom cybersecurity stemming from spoofed or duplicated IMEI numbers – the unique 14- to 17-digit identifier embedded in every handset.
The app allows users to block or track a stolen phone across networks and to weed out mobile numbers fraudulently registered under their name.
However, critics say the policy undermines digital autonomy. “The government effectively removes user consent as a meaningful choice,” said technology lawyer and internet-policy specialist Mishi Choudhary.
Privacy activists previously criticised Russia for imposing a similar requirement earlier this year for its own state-backed messenger service.
Priyanka Chaturvedi, member of parliament, wrote on X: “Sanchar Saathi mobile application mandate to every mobile phone manufacturer as a permanent mobile feature by the GoI (government of India) is nothing but another BIG BOSS surveillance moment. Such shady ways to get into individual phones will be protested and opposed & if the IT Ministry thinks that instead of creating robust redressal systems it will create surveillance systems then it should be ready for a pushback!”
Another X user, Tehseen Poonawalla, wrote: “Outrageous! Wake up INDIA! The Govt’s Sanchar Saathi app mandate is a blatant assault on our privacy & freedom! By forcing it pre-installed on every new phone, not allowing us to uninstall the app, all under the guise of ‘safety’, the government will potentially have the power to spy on our calls, texts & location. This is surveillance at its worst, & the government will have the power to track us like criminals!
“We need to fight this.”
Apple occupies a small but growing share of India’s smartphone market – about 4.5 per cent of 735 million devices as of mid-2025 – according to Counterpoint Research. The company has long resisted official attempts to force the installation of government apps on its operating system.
Apple, which has previously locked horns with the telecoms regulator over development of a government anti-spam mobile app, is among the companies, such as Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi bound by the new order.
While Apple typically pre-loads its own suite of applications, internal policy explicitly prohibits pre-installation of any government or third-party software before sale. A person familiar with the company’s stance told Reuters that exception requests have consistently been denied around the world.
Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint, said Apple’s position is unlikely to shift quickly: “Apple has historically refused such requests from governments.” He noted that the company might pursue a compromise such as adding an on-screen prompt encouraging – rather than forcing – users to download the app.
“It’s likely to seek a middle ground: instead of a mandatory pre-install, they might negotiate and ask for an option to nudge users towards installing the app.”
The Independent has reached out to India’s telecom ministry and Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi for comments.
India is the world’s second-largest mobile phone market, with more than 1.2 billion telecom subscribers. Sanchar Saathi has been downloaded more than 5 million times, according to official figures, and has been used to block over 3.7 million stolen or lost phones and terminate more than 30 million fraudulent mobile connections.
To digital rights campaigners, mandatory, non-removable state software sets a troubling precedent. They warn that the lack of public consultation over the move raises deeper questions about monitoring and data security at a time when smartphone-based identification, banking and communication tools are woven into daily life.
An X user who goes by the name Mohit Chauhan wrote: “Countries with non-deletable govt mobile application on citizens phones: • Russia • North Korea.
“Now the Modi government has asked smartphone makers to preload all new devices in India with the non-deletable, state-owned Sanchar Saathi app.”
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