Apple rejects India’s order to preload Sanchar Saathi app: Report

New Delhi: Apple has no plans to comply with an Indian government directive requiring smartphone makers to preload the state-owned Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices, according to a Reuters report. The move has triggered a political row and renewed concerns about digital surveillance in the world’s second-largest smartphone market.

The central government has ordered Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi to begin preloading the Sanchar Saathi app within 90 days. The tool is designed to help users track and block stolen phones and prevent their misuse. The directive also instructs manufacturers to ensure the app cannot be disabled and to push it via software updates to devices already in the supply chain.

Opposition parties and privacy campaigners criticised the move, arguing it amounts to government overreach and could give authorities greater access to India’s 730 million smartphones.

In response to mounting criticism, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia said on Tuesday that Sanchar Saathi was “completely optional”, insisting users could choose whether to activate it or not. He did not comment on the confidential directive issued on November 28, which instructed manufacturers to preload the app and ensure that it is not disabled.

Apple reportedly has no intention of mounting a legal challenge or making a public statement but would privately convey to the government that it cannot comply due to the security vulnerabilities the directive would create.

The company intends to inform the government that it does not comply with such mandates in any country, as they pose significant privacy and security risks to the iOS ecosystem. Apple, they said, views the directive as incompatible with its security architecture.