From the “What-Could-Possibly-Go-Wrong” department, Simon Sharwood reports:
India’s government has issued a directive that requires all smartphone manufacturers to install a government app on every handset in the country and has given them 90 days to get the job done – and to ensure users can’t remove the code.
The app is called “Sanchar Saathi” and is a product of India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
On Google Play and Apple’s App Store, the Department describes the app as “a citizen centric initiative … to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and increase awareness about citizen centric initiatives.”
The app does those jobs by allowing users to report incoming calls or messages – even on WhatsApp – they suspect are attempts at fraud. Users can also report incoming calls for which caller ID reveals the +91 country code, as India’s government thinks that’s an indicator of a possible illegal telecoms operator.
Read more at The Register.
While PogoWasRight can appreciate some good intent of the government, where are the protections to make sure that this is not misused to surveill innocent citizens?