The Indian government’s recent directive to verify and record every smartphone in circulation is part of an expanded anti-theft and cybersecurity initiative. This move includes preinstalling the Sanchar Saathi app on all devices, a step aimed at reducing device theft and online fraud but also raising privacy concerns.
Under the new measures, companies dealing with used phones must verify each device via a central IMEI database. Additionally, smartphone manufacturers are required to preinstall the Sanchar Saathi app on new handsets and push it to existing devices through software updates.
Launched in 2023, the Sanchar Saathi portal enables users to block or trace lost or stolen phones, leading to the blocking of over 4.2 million devices and tracing of 2.6 million more. With the release of a dedicated app in January, the system has helped recover over 700,000 phones, including 50,000 in October alone.
The app’s popularity has surged, with nearly 15 million downloads and over three million monthly active users in November. However, the government’s move to mandate pre-installation has faced criticism from privacy advocates and opposition parties, who cite increased state visibility into personal devices without sufficient safeguards.
Source: TechCrunch