Sanchar Saathi: India mandates state-owned cyber safety app on all smartphones

India wants all smartphone makers to pre-install new devices with a state-owned cyber security app.

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Under the order - passed last week but made public on Monday - smartphone makers have 90 days to ensure all new devices come with the government's Sanchar Saathi app, whose "functionalities cannot be disabled or restricted".

It says this is necessary to help citizens verify the authenticity of a handset and report the suspected misuse of telecom resources.

The move - which comes in one of the world's largest phone markets, with more than 1.2 billion mobile users - has been criticised by cyber experts, who say it breaches citizens' right to privacy.

Under the app's privacy policy, it can make and manage phone calls, send messages, access call and message logs, photos and files as well as the phone's camera.