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The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) connected Monday (December 1, 2025) ordered smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app connected caller devices sold from March 2026, and to marque definite “that [the app’s] functionalities are not disabled oregon restricted”. The Hindu has viewed a transcript of the directions. The Sanchar Saathi app volition beryllium utilized to “verify authenticity of IMEIs utilized successful mobile devices,” the bid said. It is unclear if the app volition person entree to the IMEI fig of devices it is pre-installed on, oregon if users volition person to input the hardware identifier connected their own.
In a statement, the DoT said the determination was meant to “safeguard the citizens from buying the non-genuine handsets, enabling casual reporting of suspected misuse of telecom resources and to summation effectiveness of the Sanchar Saathi initiative”. The Sanchar Saathi app, archetypal introduced arsenic a portal successful 2023, has been utilized to study scam calls, alteration users to place SIM cards registered successful their name, and remotely disable phones aft they are stolen.
Third bid
This is the 3rd bid the DoT has sent aft the notification of the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024, which were amended earlier this twelvemonth with provisions connected regulating astir immoderate work that uses mobile numbers. On Friday, the authorities ordered messaging platforms to execute “SIM binding,” restricting apps similar WhatsApp to devices containing the SIM paper utilized to motion up for the service. Friday’s bid besides required WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and different platforms similar it to log users retired of web-based interfaces each six hours.
Monday’s (December 1, 2025) directions, which 1 manufacture root said was issued without immoderate consultation (similar to Friday’s missive to the messaging platforms), came conscionable a fewer days aft different bid to societal media platforms, which were ordered to integrate the “Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)” into their systems. The FRI is simply a hazard people for telephone numbers that banks person flagged arsenic linked to fraud; a akin Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL) has besides been ordered by the DoT to beryllium integrated into societal media platforms, with a request to “deactivate these accounts immediately”.
The “DoT’s SIM‑binding directions are indispensable to plug a factual information spread that cybercriminals are exploiting to tally large‑scale, often cross‑border, integer frauds,” the DoT said successful a connection connected Monday. “Accounts connected instant messaging and calling apps proceed to enactment adjacent aft the associated SIM is removed, deactivated oregon moved abroad, enabling anonymous scams, distant “digital arrest” frauds and government‑impersonation calls utilizing Indian numbers.”
Some smartphone makers person resisted authorities mandates to pre-install apps astir the world. Apple, for instance, resisted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)’s draught regulations to instal a spam-reporting app, aft the steadfast balked astatine the TRAI app’s permissions requirements, which included entree to SMS messages and telephone logs. Apple came up with an “extension” aboriginal successful 2017 that could beryllium utilized wrong its SMS app, iMessage, without sharing idiosyncratic information successful bulk with the app.
The Sanchar Saathi portal has been touted arsenic a mode to retrieve stolen oregon mislaid devices; the fig of specified recovered devices connected a monthly ground deed 50,000 successful October, the DoT said successful a merchandise past month.
