Govt instructs all phone makers to pre-install cyber-security app

According to the direction dated November 28, all mobile phones that will be manufactured in India or imported after 90 days from the date of issuing of the order will need to have the app.

New Delhi: The Department of Telecom has directed manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets to ensure that its fraud reporting app Sanchar Saathi is pre-installed in all new devices within 90 days.

According to the direction dated November 28, all mobile phones that will be manufactured in India or imported after 90 days from the date of issuing of the order will need to have the app.

“The central government hereby directs every manufacturer and importer of mobile handsets that are intended for use in India …from 90 days of issue of these instructions, ensure that the Sanchar Saathi mobile application, as specified by DoT, is pre-installed on all mobile handsets manufactured or imported for use in India,” the order said.

For all such devices that have already been manufactured and are in sales channels in India, the manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets will be required to push the app through software updates.

“All manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets that are intended for use in India shall submit compliance reports to the DoT within 120 days from issue of these directions,” the direction said.

The app enables users to report International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI)-related suspicious misuse and also to verify authenticity of IMEIs used in mobile devices.

IMEI numbers are unique identifiers, often used to reduce the effect of mobile phone thefts.

Tampering with telecom identifiers, including the 15-digit IMEI number of mobile phones, are non-bailable offences and can lead to imprisonment of up to three years, fines up to Rs 50 lakh, or both under the Telecommunications Act 2023.

Telecom subscribers can also report about fraudulent calls, lost mobile phones etc through the app.

The DoT has asked mobile phone companies to ensure that the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application is readily visible and accessible to the end users at the time of first use or device setup and that its functionalities are not disabled or restricted.

The DoT direction said that action will be taken as per the provisions of the Telecommunications Act 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules 2024 and other application laws if the firms fail to comply.

At present all the major mobile phone companies Apple, Samsung, Google, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi etc manufacture their handsets in India.

Last week, the Centre had also issued directions that would ensure app-based communication services, the likes of WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and others, are continuously linked to a user’s active SIM card.

It has directed that within 90 days, any web version of the app must automatically log users out at least once every six hours. Users can then sign in again by re-linking the device using a QR code.

In the world’s largest telecom market, with over 1.2 billion subscribers, the government says Sanchar Saathi has already helped track and recover more than 7 lakh lost phones. The platform, set to be relaunched in January, helped recover 50,000 devices in October alone.

While it is not pre-downloaded on phones at present, it still has over 5 million downloads and has helped block 42.13 lakh lost or stolen phones and traced 26.11 lakh phones.

Authorities maintain that increased adoption of the app will assist the police in tracing lost devices and limiting the spread of counterfeit phones on the black market.

All players providing app-based communication services in India have been asked to submit compliance reports to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) within 120 days from issue of the directions.