Daybreak The Government wants to be on your phone. It's not asking nicely
Dec 3, 2025
India's government has mandated that all smartphones come with the Sanchar Saathi app, which tracks lost devices but also demands extensive permissions. Privacy advocates raise alarms about potential misuse, comparing this directive to those in Russia and China. Apple refuses to comply, raising concerns about user privacy. The secretive nature of the mandate and the lack of industry consultation spark public backlash. Tune in for insights on government surveillance and the implications for personal data security.
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Mandate Could Turn Phones Into State Tools
- A secret government mandate wants phones sold in India to ship with a non-deletable Sanchar Saathi app that has deep device permissions.
- That centralised control could be repurposed via updates to scan for banned apps, flag VPNs, or monitor SMS patterns.
App's Anti-Theft Power Is Real
- Sanchar Saathi functions like Find My Phone and blocks stolen devices by IMEI across networks.
- The app has already helped recover hundreds of thousands of phones and blocked millions of stolen devices and fraudulent connections.
Deep Permissions Undermine User Consent
- Sanchar Saathi needs wide-ranging permissions like reading SMS, call logs, files, camera and making calls to work.
- Making it a system app removes protections and raises questions about data use and consent.