Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has withdrawn a directive that required smartphone makers to pre-install the government’s Sanchar Saathi application on new and existing devices, a day after the mandate triggered industry and privacy concerns.
The confidential directive issued on November 28 had asked manufacturers and importers to install the cybersecurity app through factory settings or software updates, and said its functions could not be disabled.
The order had raised questions from device makers including Apple and Google, whose operating systems do not typically include country-specific government applications by default.
Revoking the decision on Wednesday, the Ministry of Communications said the government would not mandate pre-installation because of “Sanchar Saathi’s increasing acceptance”.
The ministry said 1.4 crore (14 million) users had downloaded the app, which it said helps report fraud and stolen devices, contributing to about 2,000 fraud incident alerts daily.
Sanchar Saathi is a government-developed mobile security tool that allows users to report suspicious calls, messages and phone theft. Critics, including civil society groups, had said mandatory installation could undermine user consent and raise risks of function “creep”, where the scope of an application expands beyond its original purpose.
Earlier in Parliament on Wednesday, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the government was open to revising the order based on feedback. He denied surveillance concerns, saying, “Neither is snooping possible, nor will it be done.”
Sanchar Saathi aims to thwart cyber fraud
Industry sources said smartphone makers were preparing to oppose the mandate, citing privacy and system security risks and the lack of global precedent for mandatory government apps. They said implementing the directive could have required India-specific versions of Android and iOS.
On Tuesday, Scindia had said users would be free to delete the app, describing it as voluntary and aimed at protecting consumers from cyber fraud. A senior government official said the original clause about not disabling app functions was intended to prevent manufacturers from installing a non-working version and claiming compliance, and did not mean users could not delete it.
Digital rights groups said compulsory loading of such applications could undermine choice and threaten privacy. They argued that even if the app is removable, pre-installation allows the state to shape user behaviour and opens the door to future expansion of its functions.
The government did not say whether it would issue a revised directive.
