India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked smartphone companies in India — including Apple — to preinstall a state-developed, undelete-able cybersecurity application that allows users to report fraudulent calls and messages, and stolen mobile phones, according to The Indian Express.
The app is dubbed “Sanchar Saathi.” Smartphone makers have been given three months to adhere to the directive.
The app is currently available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play, but installing it has been optional so far. A senior government official in India told The Indian Express that the directive is part of a broader strategy to “strengthen cybersecurity and anti-spam measures.”
The Sanchar Saathi app allows tracking and blocking of lost or stolen phones anywhere in India, based on the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). The app can also assist police authorities in tracing stolen or lost devices, which can potentially prevent counterfeit phones from entering the black market, according to The Indian Express. The app also allows users to report suspected fraud communications via calls, SMS, or platforms like WhatsApp.
Not surprisingly, The Indian Express says smartphone makers are expected to push back against the requirement to have Sanchar Saathi pre-installed automatically on all smartphones.
Speaking of India, Apple is seeking to block antitrust proceedings in India by challenging a law that allows penalties to be calculated on global turnover, the country’s competition regulator said, escalating tensions between New Delhi and the U.S. tech giant.,” according to Reuters.
The iPhone maker last month challenged India’s antitrust penalty law which allows the regulator to use global turnover when calculating the penalties, calling the legislation one that could lead to disproportionate fines for cases where the breach occurred only in India.
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