🔗 Share this article

In a major decision, India's telecoms authority has discreetly instructed mobile phone makers to preload all new phones with a national cybersecurity tool that must remain installed. This directive, which was revealed, is set to antagonise leading technology firms like Apple and raise questions among privacy advocates.

A Global Pattern in Cybersecurity Policy

To combat a growing wave of online fraud and hacking, India is following authorities internationally. This action parallels comparable rules framed in countries like Russia, which seek to prevent the use of lost phones for fraud and encourage official applications.

Which Manufacturers Are Bound by the Directive?

The new order binds leading mobile phone companies operating in the domestic market. Among them are Apple, a company that has previously had disagreements with the telecom authority over comparable applications, as well as giants like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Specifics of the Official Mandate

An order dated 28 November gives phone companies a three-month deadline to guarantee that the official "Messenger Friend" application is factory-loaded on all new handsets. A notable stipulation is that users will not be able to remove the app.

For handsets already in the supply chain, companies are directed to push the application via software updates. It is notable that this directive was privately circulated and was sent selectively to select firms.

Privacy Worries Expressed

However, technology analysts have raised significant worries regarding this decision. A lawyer specialising in tech law stated that India's directive is a worrying development.

“The government in essence removes user consent as a real choice,” said Mishi Choudhary, an expert working on internet rights matters.

Consumer organisations had previously criticised a similar mandate by Russia in August for a state-backed messenger app to be included on phones.

The Size of the Indian Smartphone Landscape

India, among the world's largest telephone markets, boasts more than 1.2 billion subscribers. Official figures indicate that the cybersecurity application, launched in January, has reportedly assisted in tracking down more than 700,000 lost phones, with around 50,000 recovered in October by itself.

The government argues that the software is vital to tackle the “significant endangerment” of mobile network cybersecurity from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which are used for illicit activities and network abuse.

Apple's Likely Response

Apple's iOS powers an estimated 4.5% of the 735 million smartphones in India, with the vast majority using Android, as per industry analysis. While Apple pre-installs its own proprietary apps on its devices, its internal guidelines reportedly forbid the inclusion of any third-party application before the sale of a smartphone.

“Apple has historically resisted such demands from authorities,” noted Tarun Pathak, a analyst at Counterpoint.

“It’s likely to pursue a compromise: rather than a mandatory pre-install, they might negotiate and propose an option to nudge users towards installing the application.”

Requests for comment from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi were unresponded. India’s telecommunications department also offered no comment.

Understanding the IMEI and the App's Function

The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a 14- to 17-digit number assigned to each handset. It is most commonly used by carriers to cut off network access for phones flagged as stolen.

The government application is mainly created to enable users track and track missing phones across all telecom networks, using a central database. It also enables them to spot, and block, fraudulent mobile connections.

Impressive Usage and Results

With more than 5 million installs since its launch, the software has already been used to disable over 3.7 million stolen or lost mobile phones. Moreover, over 30 million illegal connections have also been disconnected through its use.

The government states that the app aids in combating digital threats and helps in the tracking and disabling of missing phones, thereby aiding police in tracing handsets and keeping cloned devices out of the black market.