The Indian Ministry of Telecommunications is currently making a lot of headlines due to a directive that has alarmed security experts and digital rights activists around the world. At the center of the matter is the order sent to the main mobile device manufacturers, including giants such as Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, which imposed the obligation to pre-install the government app “Sanchar Saathi” on all new smartphones placed on the Indian market. The original directive, shared privately with companies and not immediately made public, was not limited to the new models: it required that the Status app also be distributed to existing devices via software updates and, even more critically, that it be made impossible for the user to uninstall. The objective declared by the authorities, at least on paper, would also be noble, namely to combat electronic fraud and theft of devices in a market that has over 1.2 billion users.
The coercive nature of the New Delhi government’s initiative, however, has inevitably raised strong concerns about state surveillance and the violation of digital consent, leading to comparisons with authoritarian regimes such as Russia and North Korea. The situation became confusing when, following the protests, the Minister of Telecommunications verbally contradicted the written document, calling the use of the app “voluntary”. In this article we analyze what is happening, how the application technically works and why this clash between national security and individual privacy could create a relevant historical precedent.
The directive that is causing so much discussion: the issue of privacy
Let’s get into the merits of the issue by analyzing the chronology and technical specifications of this affair, which pits the need for security and the right to privacy. The application at the center of the storm, Sanchar Saathi, was officially launched last January and was designed with public utility features: it allows citizens to block and track their phones in case of loss or theft and to identify any fraudulent mobile connections activated in their name. According to data provided by the government, the software has already achieved tangible results, with over 5 million downloads and the recovery of around 700,000 devices, of which 50,000 in October alone. The authorities maintain that widespread distribution of the app is necessary to stem what they define as a serious danger to network security, caused mainly by the duplication or falsification of IMEI codes (International Mobile Equipment Identity). For those who don’t know, IMEI is a unique 15-digit numerical code that identifies each individual mobile phone; cloning it allows criminals to use stolen devices making them difficult to track.
Despite the security premises, the method of imposition has generated strong alarm. The written directive, leaked via news agencies such as Reutersordered manufacturers to comply within 90 days, ensuring that the app’s features could not be disabled or limited on the user side. This approach sparked a reaction from digital policy experts such as digital policy expert Nikhil Pahwa, who highlighted how forcibly pre-installing government software is extremely relevant. Pahwa in fact declared:
This is just the beginning. The government is testing the waters. Once a government app is forcibly pre-installed on our devices, what’s to stop them from promoting future apps that could be used for mass surveillance?
The main criticism concerns the removal of user consent, transforming the smartphone from a personal space to a tool controlled from above. The political opposition also called the move “dystopian” and unconstitutional, comparing it to recent Russian laws requiring the installation of the MAX messaging app, known for openly sharing user data with authorities upon request.
Faced with this wave of criticism, which saw the involvement of parliamentarians and activists, the government showed signs of giving in or, at least, of communication confusion. Telecommunications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, for example, tried to tone down the tone by calling the app a «voluntary and democratic system» and adding that users will be able to freely decide to «easily delete it from your phone at any time». It’s a shame that the statements made verbally by the minister do not perfectly match the written directive, which explicitly ordered the producers to make the app unmovable (you can consult the directive in the following post X by the Indian journalist Arvind Gunasekar).
What will Apple, Samsung and other manufacturers decide to do?
And speaking of smartphone manufacturers, if the Indian government were to continue with its idea of making the use of the app mandatory it will still have to clash with the policies of big tech. Let’s take Apple as an example. The Cupertino company, which has a small but growing market share in India (around 4.5%), has strict internal rules that prohibit the pre-installation of third-party or government applications before sale. Apple considers the “cleanliness” of its operating system a guarantee of security and privacy for its customers and has historically rejected similar requests around the world, fearing that accepting exceptions could create security flaws or dangerous legal precedents. According to analysts at CounterpointResearchApple is unlikely to give in easily; it is more plausible to look for a middle ground, such as inserting notifications that suggest, without forcing, the download of the app during the phone’s configuration.
