The Indian government is demanding the installation of a new monitoring app called Sanchar Saathi on all smartphones in the country. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This decision was announced on December 1 by the Indian Press Information Bureau. According to the government, the app is being introduced to combat cybercrime and fraud, as well as to keep citizens informed about government activities.
With the help of the Sanchar Saathi app, it is possible to detect and block stolen or lost phones. Additionally, the app has helped recover data from more than 700,000 lost phones so far.
According to the government’s decision, major smartphone manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi will be required to install this app on all new and existing devices within 90 days. However, this requirement is causing various controversies.
The opposition and human rights defenders have strongly criticized this initiative, considering it unconstitutional. They believe the government may be planning to increase surveillance over citizens through this app.
Furthermore, Apple has announced that it does not plan to comply with this demand. According to Reuters, the company intends to convey its concerns to the New Delhi government.
This initiative is expected to mark a new phase in technological development and state policy in India. However, this decision may also raise issues related to privacy.
