Apple Resists India's Sanchar Saathi App

India's government has confidentially ordered smartphone manufacturers, including Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics, and Xiaomi, to preload a state-owned cyber safety app called Sanchar Saathi on their devices within 90 days. The app is intended to track stolen phones and prevent misuse, but it has sparked significant privacy and surveillance concerns among political opponents of Narendra Modi and privacy advocates. Apple Inc. plans to resist this directive, citing global privacy and security issues with its iOS ecosystem, and will communicate its concerns to New Delhi. Other manufacturers like Samsung Electronics are reviewing the order. The India — Indian National Congress has called for a rollback of the mandate, while Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that the app is optional and can be deleted by users. This development occurs while Apple Inc. is already engaged in an antitrust dispute with an Indian watchdog, facing potential fines.