The government of India has reportedly rolled back a directive that required smartphone manufacturers to preinstall the Sanchar Saathi cyber-safety app on all new devices, following widespread public and industry pushback. The mandate was issued last week and disclosed on Monday. It had given companies 90 days to ensure every new handset came with the app baked in and was unable to be “disabled or restricted.” The plan for existing smartphones was for the app to be rolled out via software updates.
What is the Sanchar Saathi app?
Sanchar Saathi is a platform created by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which functions as both a mobile app on Android and iOS, and as a web portal. According to the government, it is designed to help users manage their digital identities, report suspicious activity, and secure their devices. It also provides educational resources on telecom safety and common cyber risks.
The directive required all smartphone companies to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on new devices within 90 days. Also, smartphone users wouldn’t be able to uninstall the app, like how native apps on phones work. The clause immediately raised alarms among privacy advocates, who warned that such a move could pave the way for excessive surveillance and undermine user autonomy. It was also reported that Apple wouldn’t have complied with the government’s order, citing user privacy concerns. The iPhone maker was reportedly planning to raise its concerns with the Indian government, saying that it does not preload government apps anywhere in the world.
The idea behind installing this app was to validate handset authenticity and curb mobile-related fraud. But cybersecurity experts argued that the compulsory installation infringed on citizens’ right to privacy and lacked adequate safeguards. The government has now announced that it has removed the order for mandatory pre-installation of the app for smartphone companies.
According to an X post by the Press Bureau of India, the decision to revoke the order was due to the unexpected downloads and registrations of the app. In just one day, 6 lakh citizens registered to download the app, which is a 10x increase in its uptake. The government added that this response is “affirmation of faith by citizens on this App for protecting themselves provided to them by the Government.” So, a mandatory pre-installation of the app isn’t required anymore. The app currently has 1.4 crore users with 2000 fraud incidents being reported per day. The X post reiterated that this app is meant purely for helping citizens from “bad actors in the cyber world.”
Interested citizens can still go to the Sanchar Saathi platform or download the app on their phone to report stolen or lost handsets, check their mobile number connections, and report any cyber fraud suspicions.
