Apple denies Sanchar Saathi app installation due to…, says ‘user data can…’

Apple has refused to follow the telecommunications' order of pre-installing the Sanchar Saathi application. Scroll down to see the whole story.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on December 1, i.e., Monday, directed all manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi application on their phones.  The department suggests that this step will safeguard the users in case they lose their phones. In addition, it will block access and protect the device from malicious usage. The order directed the companies to ensure the application couldn’t be deleted. However, Apple has refused to follow this order.

What’s the order of DoT?

The order issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) states that smartphone manufacturers must pre-install the Sanchar Saathi application on their phones. For this, they were given a time period of 90 days. This will help in tracking the phone if lost and block access to avoid malicious usage. It will also aid in reducing the cyber fraud. Another order of the DoT for companies is to ensure the application can’t be deleted.

What’s Apple saying?

Now that the companies have to take an action. Out of the major brands, Apple has refused to abide by this rule. It’s because Apple’s security and privacy may get harmed, as its iOS system is highly closed. As per a report by Reuters, the company mentioned that it doesn’t abide by such a rule in any country of the world. The company fears that if forceful installation of this government application is done, the devices may become prone to easy hacking, risking the data of users.

What’s privacy policy of the Sanchar Saathi app?

The privacy policy of the Sanchar Saathi app includes that iPhone users will be asked to allow access to the camera, files, and photos. On the other hand, the access in Android phones ranges to call logs, messages, and phone calls.

What’s happening now?

This order was widely criticised by the users and manufacturers. The Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, later added that if users want, they may delete the application from their devices.