Tech giants prepare standoff as India pushes mandatory cybersecurity app

Smartphone majors Apple and Google are gearing up for a clash with the Indian government over a directive requiring mandatory pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all new smartphones sold in the country.

The app — developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) — enables users to report fraudulent calls, messages and stolen phones, and check devices for spoofed IMEI numbers.

Industry sources say both companies are deeply concerned about privacy implications and the potential erosion of global operating system standards. Apple and Google have never preloaded government-developed software in any country, and executives privately warn that complying with the order could require India-specific versions of iOS and Android — a precedent they are unwilling to set.

Samsung is still evaluating its response but has not taken a public position.

The confidential directive issued last week stipulates the Sanchar Saathi app must be pre-installed and remain undisabled, raising immediate alarms among digital rights groups who argue the move undermines user autonomy, consent frameworks and could pave the way for “functional creeping” — the gradual expansion of state access or surveillance capability beyond original intent.

India is one of the world's largest smartphone markets, with more than 650 million users, giving the directive sweeping implications. Civil liberties groups warn that mandated installation may normalize state-controlled digital services on personal devices.

The government, however, maintains the measure is necessary to curb cyber fraud and prevent cloned or spoofed IMEI numbers, claiming the app is critical to national telecom security.

Executives familiar with internal discussions say different compliance paths are being explored, including voluntary promotion of the app, but a “legal challenge is not off the table” if negotiations fail.

One source said Apple’s policies strictly prohibit third-party government applications from being embedded at system level, while another noted Google is unwilling to fragment Android for a single market.

Industry insiders also fear the order could trigger copycat regulatory demands in other countries — an outcome they regard as significantly more dangerous than complying in one instance. Similar precedents have already emerged: Russia recently ordered tech firms to preload state-controlled messaging app MAX, a move that has drawn surveillance concerns from watchdog groups.

Apple, Google and Samsung have not yet issued formal statements. The standoff now places India at the centre of a global debate — balancing national security imperatives against digital rights, platform integrity and the boundaries of state authority in private technology ecosystems.