A first-of-its-kind oral drug boosts muscle metabolism to improve blood sugar and body composition is now headed into larger clinical trials. Lowering blood sugar and increasing fat burning – without suppressing appetite or causing muscle loss – are among the most encouraging effects seen with a new experimental tablet for people with type 2 diabetes […]
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Vivo X300 Pro and Vivo X300 running new OriginOS launched in India: Price, features and sale
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Vivo on Tuesday (December 2, 2025) expanded its premium smartphone series X with the launch of Vivo X300 Pro and Vivo X300 camera centric phones in India. These new Vivo X300 series phones compete with Oppo’s Find X9 Pro and Find X9.
The Vivo X300 series also debuts company’s shift to a new operating skin, OriginOS, based on Android 16 out of the box. The new OS replaces the FuntouchOS and will be a part of Vivo’s future devices. The new OriginOS 6 will bring features like Origin Island and notification stacking along with flip cards.
Both, Vivo X300 Pro and X300 run on MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processor with up to 16 GB LPDDRx Ultra RAM and 512 GB UFS 4.1 storage. Vivo will offer 5 OS and 7 years of security updates to the X300 series.
Both the X300 series phones are IP68 and IP69 rated to dust, and water resistance.
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The Vivo X300 Pro has a 6.78 inch LTPO AMOLED display with an adaptive refresh rate between 1 to 120 Hz and 4,500 nits of peak brightness. The display supports Dolby Vision.
Vivo X300 Pro holds a 6,510 battery and comes with a 90W fast charger inside the box. It also supports 40W wireless charging.
Vivo X300 Pro sports ZEISS tuned 50 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultrawide lens and a 200 MP telephoto periscope camera with 3.7x optical zoom. It has a 50 MP front camera.
Vivo has also provided an additional option to use a telephoto extender lens with 2.35x optical zoom, which can be purchased separately as and accessory. It can be used on both the models. It helps upgrade the 85 mm 200 MP telephoto lens to a 200 mm focal length.
Vivo X300 Pro comes in single variant of 16 GB/512 GB, and will be available in Dune Gold and Elite Black colours. Vivo X300 Pro costs ₹1,09,999. Pre-booking starts today with sale beginning December 10.
The base variant offers a 6.31 inch AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and 4,500 nits brightness.
Vivo X300 ships with a 6,040 mAh battery along with a 90W charger and 40W wireless charging support.
Vivo X300 features ZEISS tuned 200 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultrawide sensor and a 50 MP telephoto lens. It has a 50 MP front camera.
Vivo X300 will come in Elite Black, Mist Blue, Summit Red colours and in three variants of 12 GB/256 GB, 12 GB/512 GB, and 16 GB/512 GB.
Vivo X300 begins at ₹75,999 for the 12 GB/256 GB variant, ₹81,999 for the 12 GB/512 GB unit, and ₹85,999 for the 16 GB/512 GB model. Pre-booking starts today with sale beginning December 10.
Published – December 02, 2025 01:31 pm IST
The Indian government’s decision to mandate the Sanchar Saathi application on every smartphone sold or activated in the country marks a significant and worrisome shift in how the state positions itself inside the personal devices of over a billion citizens.
On 28 November 2025, the Department of Telecommunications ordered all handset manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi application on every phone intended for the Indian market, ensuring the app is visible and functional from first boot. Devices already manufactured or already in circulation must receive the app via software updates, with manufacturers given 90 days to comply and 120 days to submit formal adherence reports.
The initiative itself, launched in May 2023, is presented as a consumer-protection measure: a tool to verify whether a device’s IMEI is genuine, to block cloned or blacklisted identifiers, to report stolen phones, and to flag potential telecom fraud. The government argues that unchecked IMEI tampering and the illegal resale of stolen phones harm both telecom security and consumers. In isolation, these aims appear benign.
But what appears on paper as an anti-fraud initiative is, in practice, a compulsory state-owned software layer embedded deep into a user’s phone. This raises profound concerns about privacy, consent, and expanding surveillance power.
Unlike voluntary device-tracking frameworks such as Apple’s Find My or Android’s Find Hub, Sanchar Saathi does not offer users a choice. Find My and Find Hub are opt-in services that individuals enable if they wish to locate lost or stolen devices, relying on Bluetooth, encrypted communication, and crowdsourced networks capable of detecting devices even when offline.
Apple’s system, for example, uses rotating Bluetooth identifiers that only the owner’s devices can decrypt, using cryptographic safeguards intended to prevent Apple or third parties from linking those signals to a specific user.
Yet even these privacy-first systems are not flawless. Research has revealed that Apple’s “Offline Finding” protocol — the precursor to Find My — could, under particular design or implementation failures, permit correlation attacks that de-anonymize users or expose movement histories.
Similar scrutiny of Samsung’s Bluetooth-based locating infrastructure showed that a vendor or operator could, in principle, de-anonymize devices and their finders if metadata is aggregated or retained, enabling forms of tracking that were never intended by end users.
Against this background, a mandatory, OS-level government-run surveillance app, which is tied directly to IMEI verification, device identity, and centralised databases, represents a dramatically different paradigm. This is not a user-chosen convenience layer but state-mandated software that can, even if unintentionally, create pathways for monitoring which device belongs to whom, how devices move, when they are active or inactive, and how they interact with telecom networks.
The ease with which Bluetooth identifiers, network metadata, or IMEI-based registries can be correlated only amplifies that risk. In effect, the mandate transforms a phone into a more visible object within the state’s digital infrastructure.
If one were to look for global best practices on how world governments approaches cyber fraud issues, a pattern emerges. In most democracies, including the U.S. and much of Europe, device-security services are optional, and user consent is treated as a foundational principle. Users choose to enable Apple’s or Google’s locating systems; governments do not compel handset makers to install state tracking tools.
By contrast, some countries with strong state control over digital ecosystems have taken the opposite route. Earlier in 2025, Russia compelled all smartphones to preinstall a state-backed messaging app, a decision widely criticised for enabling mass state surveillance and eroding digital privacy norms.
The justifications in those contexts often revolve around national security, fraud prevention, or misuse control, but the effect is the expansion of state capability to monitor communications, device patterns, and citizen behaviour.
Placed on this global map, India’s move aligns more closely with the latter group than the former. Though the Sanchar Saathi mandate is framed as a technical safeguard for telecom networks, it deepens state presence in personal devices and lowers the threshold for continuous government visibility into citizens’ digital lives.
Over time, such mandated software layers can reshape expectations of privacy and normalise forms of monitoring that were previously considered intrusive.
This new directive forces a fundamental question: even if Sanchar Saathi reduces theft or counterfeit device circulation, is it proportionate for a state to embed itself so deeply into the personal devices of its population, and to do so without offering any meaningful choice?
Published – December 02, 2025 01:34 pm IST
Research Highlights: Chronic pain may play a significant role in increasing the risk of developing high blood pressure. How long the pain lasts and where it occurs both affect this risk, and part of the connection is linked to depression and inflammation. Researchers say the results emphasize how important strong pain management strategies are for […]
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Vivo focused upon evolving consumers needs with a premium push, says company’s spokesperson
| Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
Vivo, currently the number one smartphone brand in India on consecutive quarters, is focussed towards the evolving needs of consumers while maintaining a premium push with its V and X series. While not going hyper about being the leading phone seller in the country, Vivo says, “…we have a very clear understanding of a particular consumer segment needs and do not want overlapping in this.”
“V series is more towards design, camera and social connecting. X series has its own journey from 2023 onwards with X100, X100 Pro, X200 series or X300 series, with camera performance being the main focus,” says Vivo India spokesperson in an exclusive interaction with The Hindu.
We understood what young consumers needs. “User centricity has always played an important role for us, and it will be in the same direction in future.”
On being the leader currently in Indian smartphone ecosystem, Vivo said that output is not in their control. “There are market forces which contribute for a brand to be number one. We might become number one because somebody else is not doing very well also, but a sustained direction is important.”
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“If you look at the brand’s purpose, it is not to be number one in the smartphone market. It is to bring joy to people’s life through simplified technology and experiences,” spokesperson points.
“Every mobile phone which we are selling is made in India, including X series and Fold, and now we are elevating to design for India. CMF and software are being customised according to Indian market need, like wedding style photography, which is now being used in Southeast Asia,” he added.
“Our technological capabilities, not only in terms of camera, but design and innovation, exploring new form factors, provided us confidence to further strengthen our X series in Indian market even more,” tells Vivo India’s spox.
Vivo has now shifted to a newer operating skin know as OriginOS, which replaces the FuntoucOS the Chinese smartphone maker used to have. On this shift, Vivo says that it is quite smarter than the previous OS; from design, customisation to AI productivity. OriginOS is going to be the base, starting from Y Series to X series now.
On go-to-market strategy, the spokesperson told, “I think since beginning we have focused on the retail channel, but we call ourselves as a brand which is present in both the channels, wherever consumers want us. We have a strong presence in the mainline channel, where we have more than 70,000 retail outlets. We need to remain a consumer oriented brand with India centric operations.”
Vivo also has 700 company operated service centres in India.
Vivo is focusing on the segment between ₹30,000 to ₹50,000. In the premium segment, upgradation cycle is evolving, and schemes like easy financing and EMI options have made things easy for people to upgrade. “It is not a price-sensitive thinking now, but value-sensitive.”
Vivo says it will work to elevate premium consumer experience with its products in 2026.
Published – December 02, 2025 02:00 pm IST
FILE PHOTO: The Deepseek logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
| Photo Credit: Dado Ruvic
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has released two new AI models called DeepSeek-V3.2 and DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale, on December 1. The startup has claimed that DeepSeek-V3.2 is designed as a daily AI assistant for reasoning on par with GPT-5, while DeepSeek-V3.2-Speciale is for more complex tasks and is comparable with the Gemini-3.0-Pro.
The latter has achieved gold-medal performance in four elite international competitions – the 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad, the International Olympiad in Informatics, the ICPC World Finals and the China Mathematical Olympiad.
DeepSeek-V3.2 has also introduced an ability called “thinking in tool-use,” that enables them to reason through a problem while performing tasks like coding, web searching and file editing. The AI model also supports tool-use in both thinking and non-thinking modes.
The researchers trained the AI models using a new method called DeepSeek Sparse Attention or DSA that lessens high compute costs while maintaining performance.
The firm has also released the full technical report for the training process for both models. DeepSeek-V3.2 is now live on the app, web and via API with DeepSeek-V.3.2-Speciale just available via API.
Published – December 02, 2025 02:46 pm IST
New research reveals that chemicals in common plastics may quietly trigger lifelong health problems. Exposure early in life has been linked to obesity, infertility, and even cognitive issues. Scientists say small lifestyle changes can help, but lasting protection will require bold international action. Rising Concerns About Plastic Exposure in Early Life Childhood contact with chemicals […]
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Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Amid the Sanchar Saathi application row, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday (December 2, 2025) said making anything compulsory in a democracy is troubling and asserted that the government should explain everything to the public instead of just passing an order.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has directed manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets to ensure that its fraud reporting app Sanchar Saathi is pre-installed in all new devices within 90 days.
Responding to questions on the issue outside Parliament, Mr. Tharoor said, “I have not studied the issue in detail but common sense tells me that these apps can be useful provided they are voluntary. Everyone who needs them should be able to download them.”
“Making anything compulsory in a democracy is troubling. But I need to look more into the logic of the government. The government should explain everything to the public instead of just passing an order that the media reports. We need to have a discussion where the government explains what is the thinking (behind this),” the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.
“For me I think an app that helps us to locate our phones, all of that, is not a bad idea, provided it is voluntary. If I feel the need for something I can download that app, If I don’t feel the need for it I shouldn’t have to download it. It is true for all of us. It is common sense. Why it is being made compulsory that the government has to explain,” the Congress leader said.
Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the Sanchar Saathi app, a fraud reporting app the government wants pre-installed on all devices, can be deleted by users.
Users can decide to keep the Sanchar Saathi app or delete it, Mr. Scindia told reporters on Tuesday (December 2, 2025).
The DoT has directed manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets to ensure that its fraud reporting app, Sanchar Saathi, is pre-installed on all new devices and installed via a software update on existing handsets.
According to the direction dated November 28, all mobile phones that will be manufactured in India or imported after 90 days from the date of issuing of the order will need to have the app.
All mobile phone companies are required to report compliance to the DoT within 120 days.
“If you want to delete it, then delete it. But not everyone in the country knows that this app exists to protect them from fraud and theft,” Mr. Scindia said.
The Union minister for communications further noted that, “It is our responsibility to make this app reach everyone. If you want to delete it, then delete it. If you don’t want to use it, then don’t register it. If you register it, then it will remain active. If you don’t register it, then it will remain inactive.”
Published – December 02, 2025 02:52 pm IST
LOUISVILLE, Colorado. — Perry Fletcher, gerente de ventas de E-bike de Colorado, contó que este otoño, con la vuelta a clases, su negocio registró un aumento en las ventas a jóvenes y familias, gracias al creciente auge de las bicicletas eléctricas.
Pero al entusiasmo de los niños por sus nuevos vehículos lo empaña una pregunta recurrente de los preocupados padres: ¿Son seguras?
No siempre es fácil de responder.
Las regulaciones federales sobre bicicletas eléctricas son limitadas y los esfuerzos para ampliarlas se han estancado, lo que ha dejado a los estados e incluso a los condados con la tarea de llenar ese vacío con normas propias que varían de un lugar a otro. Mientras tanto, la enorme variedad de bicicletas eléctricas disponibles difiere en diseño, velocidad y calidad.
Ante este panorama, minoristas como Fletcher intentan educar a los consumidores para que tomen decisiones informadas.
“Tenemos muchísimo cuidado con lo que ingresa a la tienda, porque hay riesgos”, señaló.
Las normas federales que exigen estándares de seguridad para las baterías de bicicletas eléctricas y otros dispositivos como los monopatines eléctricos están en el limbo luego de que la Comisión de Seguridad de Productos del Consumidor (Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC), la agencia federal independiente encargada de proteger a la población de muertes y lesiones relacionadas con bicicletas y otros productos, retiró en agosto una propuesta de regulación.
La comisión envió entonces las normas que debían revisarse a la oficina de regulaciones que forma parte de la Oficina de Administración y Presupuesto (Office of Management and Budget), en respuesta a una orden ejecutiva emitida en febrero por el presidente Donald Trump, en la que se exigía que las agencias independientes como la CPSC se alinearan más con las prioridades de la Casa Blanca.
En mayo, Trump despidió a tres integrantes de la comisión que habían sido designados por su antecesor, el ex presidente Joe Biden.
Mientras tanto, otras normas impulsadas por la comisión para abordar lesiones causadas por fallas mecánicas han quedado en suspenso. Shira Rawlinson, directora de comunicaciones de la CPSC, dijo que la agencia planea actualizar el estado de ambas propuestas.
Actualmente, las bicicletas eléctricas están sujetas a estándares pensados para bicicletas tradicionales que, según una evaluación preliminar de la comisión, no son adecuados para reducir el riesgo de lesiones. Colorado, Minnesota y Utah aprobaron recientemente leyes para regular las bicicletas eléctricas y llenar ese vacío.
Estas leyes abordan aspectos como los riesgos de incendio de las baterías y la seguridad de los usuarios, y buscan distinguir entre bicicletas eléctricas de menor velocidad y las “e-motos” o motocicletas eléctricas, que pueden alcanzar hasta 35 millas por hora o más.
No existe una ley federal que fije una edad mínima para andar en una bicicleta eléctrica, pero más de la mitad de los estados tienen restricciones para el uso de bicicletas de Clase 3, que alcanzan hasta 28 millas por hora, y dos condados de California establecieron recientemente una edad mínima para bicicletas eléctricas de Clase 2, con una velocidad máxima de 20 millas por hora.
“El mayor problema es que las bicicletas eléctricas pueden pasar de ser un vehículo asistido por batería a convertirse prácticamente en un scooter con motor”, explicó la representante estatal Lesley Smith, demócrata de Colorado, quien copatrocinó la ley en ese estado.
La ley de Colorado exige que las baterías de ión de litio cuenten con certificación de seguridad, ya que pueden explotar si se fabrican o se usan de forma incorrecta. De acuerdo con la CPSC, entre 2019 y 2023, estos dispositivos de micro movilidad como las bicicletas eléctricas provocaron 39 muertes y 181 lesiones.
La mayoría de los vendedores, importadores y distribuidores han acordado usar baterías que cumplan con los estándares de seguridad, pero siempre habrá fabricantes que reduzcan costos, comprometiendo la seguridad del usuario, señaló Ed Benjamin, presidente de la Asociación de Vehículos Eléctricos Ligeros (Light Electric Vehicle Association), que representa a cientos de proveedores de bicicletas eléctricas o sus partes.
“Hay quienes no se preocupan por hacer lo correcto. Solo quieren fabricar la bicicleta más barata posible”, afirmó Benjamin.
Amy Thompson, coordinadora del programa Rutas Seguras (Safe Routes), del distrito escolar del Valle de Boulder, dijo que las autoridades educativas están intentando instalar más racks para bicicletas en varias escuelas debido al aumento en el uso de las versiones eléctricas.
Thompson explicó que los estudiantes las usan para llegar rápido a la escuela o a sus actividades y para transportar sus equipos deportivos o instrumentos musicales con facilidad. También ha observado comportamientos preocupantes, como tres estudiantes montando la misma bicicleta, circular sin casco o hacer maniobras peligrosas como los “caballitos” eléctricos popularizados en redes sociales.
Según Thompson, los menores están desactivando el limitador de velocidad de las bicicletas para ir más rápido. “Es muy fácil para los niños entrar a YouTube y encontrar un video que les enseñe cómo desactivar el regulador de una bicicleta”, indicó.
En septiembre, Thompson advirtió a los padres sobre la necesidad de supervisar las bicicletas eléctricas de sus hijos, y ya el año pasado había señalado que las líneas entre las bicicletas y las motocicletas eléctricas se están volviendo cada vez más borrosas.
Estas diferencias difusas complican el sistema de clasificación de bicicletas eléctricas adoptado total o parcialmente por casi todos los estados. Según este sistema, los motores de las bicicletas eléctricas no deben superar los 750 vatios. Las bicicletas de Clase 1 funcionan con pedaleo asistido y no deben exceder las 20 millas por hora; las de Clase 2 incluyen acelerador y también deben mantenerse por debajo de las 20 millas; y las de Clase 3 tienen pedaleo asistido con una velocidad máxima de 28 mph.
Algunas bicicletas eléctricas pueden cambiar fácilmente entre Clase 2 y 3, a veces sin que los padres lo sepan, dijo Smith, la legisladora de Colorado. En California, el año pasado, una madre demandó a un fabricante de bicicletas eléctricas, alegando que su producto se vendía como Clase 2 aunque en realidad podía convertirse en Clase 3.
Los peligros de las bicicletas eléctricas de Clase 2 llevaron al condado de Marin, en California, a prohibir que menores de 16 años las usen y a exigir que cualquier persona que las conduzca use casco.
Según autoridades de salud del condado, los menores de entre 10 y 15 años que se accidentan con estas bicicletas requieren ambulancia cinco veces más que otros grupos de edad en este tipo de siniestros.
El aumento de lesiones graves en bicicletas eléctricas, especialmente entre adolescentes, representa un problema emergente de salud pública, advirtió el Colegio Americano de Cirujanos (American College of Surgeons) en junio.
Talia Smith, directora legislativa del condado de Marin, impulsó la ley estatal que permite a ese condado imponer restricciones de edad. Sin embargo, dijo que, luego de escuchar a una docena de condados con problemas similares, la Legislatura debería avanzar hacia una ley estatal que reemplace las ordenanzas dispersas por condado.
El condado de San Diego, por ejemplo, prohíbe que menores de 12 años usen bicicletas de Clase 1 o 2.
Los vehículos que dicen ser tanto bicicletas como motocicletas eléctricas caen en un vacío regulatorio entre dos agencias: la CPSC y la Administración Nacional de Seguridad Vial en Carreteras (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA), explicó Matt Moore, asesor legal y de políticas públicas de Gente por las Bicicletas (People For Bikes), una asociación comercial de la industria ciclista, que incluye a las bicicletas eléctricas.
Esta entidad quiere que la administración de seguridad vial detenga los envíos o tome otras medidas legales contra las motocicletas eléctricas que se venden como e-bikes sin cumplir con las normas federales, dijo Moore.
Si el gobierno federal no actúa, los estados deberían aclarar sus leyes y definir las motocicletas eléctricas como vehículos todoterreno o motorizados que requieran licencia, agregó.
En octubre, California estableció un marco legal para las motocicletas eléctricas y ordenó que porten una placa de identificación emitida por el Departamento de Vehículos Motorizados para uso fuera de carretera.
En Boulder, Thompson señaló que el distrito escolar considera que la comunicación y la educación son pilares fundamentales de la seguridad. Los niños y adolescentes deben conocer y respetar las reglas de tránsito, ya sea que usen la fuerza de sus piernas o un acelerador para moverse sobre dos ruedas, comentó.
“Las bicicletas eléctricas son una forma divertida, ecológica y relativamente económica de transporte. Entonces, ¿cómo podemos volverlas más seguras y accesibles para las familias?”, se preguntó.
The Sanchar Saathi app is seen on a mobile phone in New Delhi on December 2, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
The story so far: On Monday (December 1, 2025), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) ordered smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on their phones. The order, effective from March 2026, has faced intense pushback, with digital rights advocates speaking up against the mandate, and the Opposition charging the government with a surveillance attempt.
Sanchar Saathi was launched in 2023 as a portal where users could report suspicious phone calls. It also has other features like identifying all the phone numbers linked to a user, blocking a stolen device by providing its unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), which would culminate in an order to telecom operators to bar a stolen device from their networks.
The government has specifically cited “mobile handsets bearing duplicate or spoofed IMEI [posing a] serious endangerment to telecom cyber security” as the main reason for which they have told phone makers to pre-install the app.
There is little precedent for the government to mandate an app to be pre-installed on a phone. This has been done for contacts (such as an emergency number during the COVID-19 pandemic), and while the government weighed requiring a mandatory installation of the Aarogya Setu app in 2020, no formal order appears to have materialised. That app is now defunct. In 2018, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) proposed rules that would penalise firms that obstructed its spam-reporting app, DND, from working on phones sold here. But even that order did not mandate pre-installing the app.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023 has an expansive definition of the term “telecommunications”. However, the DoT assured reporters in 2023 that the definition would not be used to go beyond its telecom operator mandate.
But in November, the DoT issued an amendment to the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024, which expanded even this broad definition. The amendment introduced the concept of a Telecommunication Identifier User Entity (TIUE), which essentially meant any firm using a phone number to identify users. That covers everything from smartphones to apps like WhatsApp. In a separate order last week, DoT mandated WhatsApp and other messaging platforms to force web-based instances to be logged out every six hours. If a phone using WhatsApp does not contain the SIM that account was registered with, it should stop working, the directions stated.
The pre-installation directions have been issued under this expanded rule set. “A mandate like this could face constitutional scrutiny, particularly under the right to privacy recognised in the Puttaswamy judgment,” Meghna Bal, director of the Esya Center think tank said. “While the ruling does allow certain exemptions for the state, it is important to note that Aadhaar withstood challenge largely because it was positioned as voluntary at the time. By requiring the Sanchar Saathi app to be pre-installed on every new device and preventing users from uninstalling it, the mandate shifts from optional participation to compelled compliance.”
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia insists that the app is being offered as a part of its “responsibility” to telecom users to help them detect forged IMEI numbers on stolen handsets. Mr. Scindia added that if users didn’t want to use the app, they could “delete” it or avoid registering on it altogether, meaning it would stay “dormant”.
It is unclear if the directions corroborate that, or if a follow-up order has been issued to dilute the December 1, 2025 order’s requirements — a copy seen by The Hindu shows an explicit instruction to ensure that the app “is readily visible and accessible to the end users at the time of first use or device setup and that its functionalities are not disabled or restricted”. Pre-installed apps are typically offered a higher security clearance (“root access”) within a phone’s operating system, which may grant them higher permissions that downloaded apps may have to seek as and when needed.
This elevated access could be a risk vector. Anand Venkatanarayanan, co-founder of the cyber security and defense consultancy DeepStrat said that as soon as “you get root in OS layer by a government app, an over-the-air update is all it takes to ‘get more permissions’,” meaning potentially more intrusive access. Some permissions, like phone, SMS and camera access (sought for spam reporting), would be especially troubling for users if they were granted by default.
In the event that the app were to be compromised by an outside actor, the impact may hit most smartphones sold next year immediately, as it would have been installed already on millions of handsets.
Published – December 02, 2025 09:03 pm IST