Sanchar Saathi: India reverses mandatory phone app order after privacy backlash

India’s government on Wednesday reversed its order requiring smartphone makers to pre-install a state-run cyber security app, following criticism over privacy and surveillance concerns.

Earlier this week, authorities had given manufacturers and importers 90 days to comply with the rule. But a government statement on Wednesday announced the decision “not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers”.

The app, called Sanchar Saathi, was described by the government as “secure and purely meant to help citizens” against “bad actors”.

The original directive had triggered objections that the app might enable surveillance and could not be removed by users. Communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told parliament on Wednesday that installation and use remained voluntary.

“I can delete it like any other app, as every citizen has this right in a democracy,” he said. “Snooping is not possible through the app, nor will it ever be.”

Officials have said the app was designed to allow users to block and track lost or stolen phones. It also enables users to identify and disconnect fake mobile subscriptions made in their name, among other functions. Government figures show the app has already helped trace more than 2.6 million phones.

Advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation welcomed the decision but urged caution. “For now, we should treat this as cautious optimism, not closure, until the formal legal direction is published and independently confirmed,” the group said in a post on social media.

Hours before the rollback, MPs debated the directive, with opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government raising alarms about possible misuse. Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda told parliament: “Even after the app is disabled, users will not be able to know whether all its features have been disabled or not. In such a situation, this issue is surrounded by concerns of violation of the right to privacy and suspicions of spying.”

His colleague Randeep Singh Surjewala said the app “could be a possible kill switch that can turn every cell phone into a brick, which the government could use against journalists, opposition leaders, and dissidents, if it so desires”. Surjewala also warned that hacking risks could “expose sensitive information, including passwords, bank account numbers and personal data”.

In August, Russia issued a similar directive ordering manufacturers to include a new messaging platform called Max on all new phones and tablets. Rights advocates warned that the app could serve as a powerful surveillance tool.