To Avoid Telecom Fraud, Govt. Apk is Needed: Phone Makers Needs to Pre-Install it -

Post Views: 7

“Phone makers have been ordered to pre-install govt. apt to avoid telecom fraud.”

The government-backed cybersecurity app Sanchar Saathi must be preloaded on all new phones within ninety days, according to an order from India’s telecoms ministry.

Reuters, Report

Users cannot disable or remove the app from their smartphones.

Sanchar Saathi is accessible online and through mobile apps for iOS and Android. It enables users to prevent stolen phones, report suspected fraud, spam, and malicious web links via WhatsApp, SMS, or phone calls, and verify the number of mobile connections made in their name.

The ability to report incoming international calls that begin with India’s country code (i.e., +91) to enable fraud is one of its key features.

Government, Website

“These international calls are sent to Indian individuals under the guise of domestic calls after being received by illicit telecom setups over the internet from other nations.”

“Reporting such conversations enables the government to take action against illicit telecom transactions that endanger national security and cause financial loss to the government’s coffers.”

Over 11.4 million Android and iOS apps have been installed overall, with the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra accounting for the majority of installations. Over 4.2 million lost devices have been banned, 2.6 million have been traced, and roughly 723,638 have been successfully recovered since the service’s May 2023 launch.

Sanchar Saathi’s Android program can observe network connections, run upon startup, manage vibration, and seek access to the following services, according to its Google Play Store listing:

SMS (Read/send SMS messages)
Phone (Read call log, phone status, and identity)
Photos/Media/Files (Read contents of USB storage and modify or delete them)
Storage (Read contents of USB storage)
Camera (Take pictures and videos)
Device ID & call information (Read phone status and identity)

According to Reuters, the November 28, 2025, rule mandates that manufacturers use a software update to deliver the app to phones that are already in the supply chain. In order to combat risks to telecom cybersecurity, such as spoof IMEI numbers that can be exploited to enable fraud and network abuse, the government has presented the app as essential

Ministry of Communications, Press Statement

Pre-installation is necessary to prevent citizens from purchasing phony phones and facilitate the reporting of suspected telecom resource abuse.

Additionally, manufacturers must make sure that the application’s features are not limited or disabled and that end users can easily see and access it during device setup or initial use.

“Telecom cybersecurity is being threatened by mobile phones with spoof or duplicate IMEIs.”

“In telecom networks, spoofing or tampering with IMEIs can cause the same IMEI to function in multiple devices at various locations at the same time, making it difficult to take action against such IMEIs.”

“India has a sizable market for used mobile devices. Additionally, instances of stolen or banned devices being resold have been noted. The buyer suffers financial loss and becomes an accomplice in criminal activity. The Sanchar Saathi App can be used to check the blocked or blacklisted IMEIs.”

Will it follow in Russia’s footsteps?

With the most recent action, India has joined countries like Russia, which, as of September 1, 2025, required all smartphones, tablets, PCs, and smart TVs sold in the nation to come pre-installed with a domestic chat program called MAX. The program can be used to track users, according to critics, although official media has refuted these claims.

Since then, Russian authorities have declared that voice and video chats through messaging apps will be somewhat restricted. Roskomnadzor, the official communications watchdog, has threatened to fully stop WhatsApp if the messaging app doesn’t follow Russian law. Telegram and WhatsApp are working together to combat illicit activities.

Agency

WhatsApp was being used for fraud and other crimes against Russian nationals, as well as for planning and executing terrorist acts and recruiting terrorists.

As of late October 2025, around 40% of Russia’s regions had banned access to Telegram and WhatsApp, according to data from the independent monitoring initiative Na Svyazi.

Roskomnadzor

The limitations resulted from criminal activity, including extortion and fraud, as well as the involvement of Russian nationals in terrorist and destructive operations.

Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister, India’s Telecom, Statement, X, Dec 2, 2025

“This is a completely voluntary and democratic system,” stating that “users may choose to activate the app and avail its benefits, or if they do not wish to, they can easily delete it from their phone at any time.”

Telecom Minister: If an app is not needed, it can be deleted

This, however, runs counter to a confidential government order requiring smartphone manufacturers to preload it and make sure it’s neither blocked nor disabled. Since then, Reuters has reported, citing industry sources, that Apple does not intend to follow the mandate.

Since these regulations pose privacy and security concerns for the company’s iOS ecosystem, the iPhone manufacturer is expected to inform the government that it does not abide by them anywhere in the globe.

Internet Freedom Foundation, Indian Digital Rights Advocacy Group

Every smartphone sold in India is now a “vessel” for state-mandated software that the user is unable to truly refuse, control, or remove, thanks to a government regulation.

“Like carrier or OEM system apps, the app will most likely require system-level or root-level access to function in practice and be unable to be disabled.”

“Because of this design decision, Sanchar Saathi becomes a permanent, non-consensual point of access that sits inside the operating system of every Indian smartphone user, undermining the safeguards that typically prevent one app from looking at the data of others.”

The Indian Government Changes Directions

The Indian government has abandoned its plans to compel smartphone manufacturers to install the Sanchar Saathi software on all handsets sold in the nation in response to criticism and worries that the security program will increase government access to users’ devices and compromise privacy.

Sanchar Saathi, Statement, Dec 3, 2025

“The government has chosen not to require mobile manufacturers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi due to its growing popularity.”

“The program is safe and designed just to protect citizens from cybercriminals.”

An order that was secretly sent to manufacturers last week is essentially reversed by the new directive. The Internet Freedom Foundation described the reversal as a “welcome development,” but caution was advised, stating that until updated guidelines under the Cyber Security Rules, 2024 are released and independently confirmed, “cautious optimism, not closure” was required.

About The Author

Suraj Koli is a content specialist in technical writing about cybersecurity & information security. He has written many amazing articles related to cybersecurity concepts, with the latest trends in cyber awareness and ethical hacking. Find out more about “Him.”

‘Accident Alert’ Notifications are a New Type of Online Fraud Bait