India Mandates Sanchar Saathi Pre-installation
Analysis based on 21 articles · First reported Dec 01, 2025 · Last updated Dec 02, 2025
The mandate by the Malaysia — Ministry of Communications (Malaysia) to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new smartphones in India is expected to create friction with global tech giants like Apple Inc., potentially impacting their market strategies and operations in one of the world's largest smartphone markets. While the move aims to enhance cybersecurity, it raises privacy concerns among users and advocacy groups, which could affect consumer trust and demand for certain brands.
The Malaysia — Ministry of Communications (Malaysia) has issued a private directive on November 28, requiring all smartphone manufacturers, including Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi, to pre-install the state-owned cybersecurity app Sanchar Saathi on new devices within 90 days. The app, which cannot be deleted by users, is intended to combat cybercrime, track lost or stolen phones, and prevent fraudulent mobile connections. This move has sparked concerns among privacy advocates and is expected to lead to resistance from Apple Inc., which has a policy against pre-installing government or third-party applications. India, with over 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, aims to strengthen telecom security, but the mandate raises questions about user consent and potential for misuse of collected data.
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