Smartphone makers must pre‑install government cyber‑security app on all phones within 90 days: new directive
Indian government has ordered all smartphone manufacturers to preload a state‑backed cyber‑security app on every phone within 90 days. The move aims to curb fraud, theft and fake IMEI misuse.
New Delhi | December 3, 2025: he federal government has issued a sweeping directive requiring all smartphone manufacturers to preload a government‑developed cybersecurity application on every phone sold in India. Under the order, companies have 90 days to comply, and the app must be embedded as part of the device — for phones already in inventory, the app must be delivered via software update.
The mandated application allows users to verify device IMEI, block or report stolen or lost phones, detect fake or duplicate connections, and report suspicious calls and messages. Authorities assert that the move will strengthen national telecom security and help curb rising phone‑fraud, theft, and misuse of fraudulent devices.
Major global and Indian smartphone brands — including both Android‑based and other platforms — are covered under the directive. For new devices rolling out after the compliance deadline, the app will appear as a default feature. Rejecting the move, some manufacturers have warned that forced pre‑installation conflicts with global device‑sale norms and could raise logistical and technical complications.
Privacy and digital‑rights advocates have voiced concern over the mandatory nature of this app, arguing it could erode user consent and potentially open the door to surveillance if safeguards are weak. They suggest that strengthening cyber‑crime laws, improving policing, and better security infrastructure might be a more balanced approach than forcing centralized software on every handset.
As debate intensifies between security aims and privacy rights, the coming months will reveal how phone‑makers, users and regulators adapt to this landmark directive — one of the biggest shifts in India’s mobile‑device policy in recent years.
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