New Delhi: Apple is set to engage with the Centre over the directive mandating pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones sold in India, with the company indicating it will seek a “middle path” as it may not be able to implement the order in its present form. The government, however, has maintained that the app will access only those phone numbers and SMSes that users themselves report as fraudulent or spam.
In its November 28, 2025 order, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) directed all handset manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi, a fraud-reporting app on new devices and push it via software updates to existing phones. All mobile phones manufactured in or imported into India after 90 days from the date of the order must carry the app, and companies have been asked to report compliance within 120 days.
Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said Apple was the only major original equipment manufacturer that did not participate in a working group meeting convened to discuss industry concerns over the mandate, while all other players attended. He highlighted the scale of cyber fraud, stating that around 50 lakh people were affected last year, with losses touching Rs 23,000 crore, and noted that 1.4 crore users have already downloaded the Sanchar Saathi app, while the portal has recorded about 21 crore visits over one-and-a-half years.
Pemmasani described Sanchar Saathi as a crowdsourced tool to combat telecom-related fraud, used to check handset genuineness via IMEI, report stolen phones and flag suspicious calls and messages. According to the government, the app is available in English, Hindi and multiple regional languages, and is designed to act on user-submitted data rather than monitoring all communications by default.
Privacy advocates and digital rights groups have warned that mandatory pre-installation without prior public consultation raises serious concerns about user autonomy, data minimisation and the possibility of the app gaining system-level access. They argue that if the app’s functions cannot be disabled and it is “readily visible” by design, users may have no meaningful way to refuse or fully remove it, potentially conflicting with the spirit of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act’s purpose-limitation safeguards.
Technology experts have also flagged technical and privacy risks around embedding such software at the operating system level, noting that system apps usually cannot be deleted and may continue running in the background even after apparent removal. They have sought clear, written clarification from the government on exactly what permissions the app uses, how long data is retained, and whether users will have an unconditional right to uninstall it.
Some former telecom officials have backed the move as a tough but necessary measure to tackle handset fraud and strengthen telecom cybersecurity, while simultaneously urging the DoT to publish transparent data-access and usage policies to reassure users. Domestic handset maker Lava International has publicly endorsed the directive, calling user security its top priority and saying it will fully comply, asserting that Sanchar Saathi can help reduce cyber fraud and data breaches and boost user trust, consistent with its “zero-bloatware” positioning.
With global majors such as Apple and Samsung still seeking clarifications or a possible relaxation of certain conditions, all eyes are on how negotiations between the Centre and the industry unfold in the coming weeks. The outcome is expected to shape not only the implementation of the Sanchar Saathi mandate but also the broader balance between state-led cyber security initiatives and user privacy on smartphones in India.
(Inputs from PTI)