India’s government has withdrawn its directive requiring smartphone manufacturers to preload a state-run cybersecurity app on new devices, following widespread criticism from politicians, privacy advocates, and tech companies over potential surveillance risks, according to Reuters.
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Indian government scraps order for smartphone makers to preload non-deletable Sanchar Saathi app after backlash from opposition, privacy groups.
On December 3, 2025, the communications ministry announced that pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app would not be mandatory for companies like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi. The order, issued privately on November 28 with a 90-day deadline, had demanded the app be non-deletable and non-disableable on all new phones. Officials defended it initially as a tool to track and block stolen devices, but faced non-compliance plans from major manufacturers, as per sources cited by Reuters.
Opposition leaders, including Congress’s Randeep Singh Surjewala, raised alarms in Parliament about the app’s legal basis and risks of backdoor access compromising user data. Newspaper editorials and advocacy groups echoed these concerns, drawing parallels to past privacy controversies like the 2020 COVID-19 contact-tracing app, which was later made voluntary. The government’s u-turn mirrors a 2024 reversal on laptop import licensing after U.S. lobbying, highlighting regulatory unpredictability.
Sanchar Saathi aims to protect users from cyber threats by monitoring stolen phones and preventing misuse. The ministry stated the app is secure and citizen-focused, noting over 600,000 downloads since Tuesday as evidence of growing adoption without mandates. Tech lawyer Mishi Choudhary welcomed the decision but criticized arbitrary policies lacking fraud-prevention analysis.
Such mandates are rare, with Russia’s August requirement for a state-backed messenger app like MAX serving as a notable precedent, criticized for enabling user tracking. Based on verified sources reviewed by Tahir Rihat, this episode underscores ongoing tensions between cybersecurity goals and privacy rights in India’s digital ecosystem.