INDIA ROLLS BACK ORDER TO PREINSTALL CYBERSECURITY APP ON SMARTPHONES AFTER WIDESPREAD CRITICISM

Wed 03 December 2025:

On Wednesday, India’s telecommunications ministry reversed its mandate requiring smartphone makers to install a government-operated cybersecurity application on fresh devices.

The Ministry of Communications on Monday asked smartphone makers to install the government’s “Sanchar Saathi” app within 90 days and to prevent users from disabling it. It also required manufacturers to push the app onto older models through a software update.

The ministry said in a statement Wednesday that 600,000 new users had registered to download the app in the last day. While noting its increased acceptance, it said the government “has decided not to make the preinstallation mandatory for mobile manufacturers.”

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The officials said the directive aims to prevent consumers from purchasing non-genuine devices and to strengthen the Sanchar Saathi initiative, which the Department of Telecommunications describes as a tool to curb misuse of telecom resources for cyber fraud and ensure telecom cyber security.

Monday’s directive led to widespread criticism and concerns of violation of data privacy and user consent in one of the largest handset markets in the world. That order also clashed with policies of companies like U.S.-based Apple, which prohibits preinstalling third-party apps on its devices, including those developed by governments.

The opposition Indian National Congress criticized the move, calling it unconstitutional overreach. K. C. Venugopal, a senior Congress figure, wrote on US social media company X that “A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means to watch over every movement, interaction and decision of each citizen.”

On Tuesday, India’s telecom minister, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, had called the app voluntary after privacy advocates said it could erode user privacy and consent.

The “Sanchar Saathi” app, which was released in January, was designed to let users block and track lost or stolen phones and to identify and shut down fraudulent mobile connections. Since its launch, it has drawn at least 14 million downloads, according to government data.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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