After intense backlash, India pulls mandate to pre-install government app on smartphones

In a significant shift, India has decided not to enforce a controversial requirement for smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government app on all devices. This decision comes after widespread public backlash and growing concerns regarding privacy and state surveillance. On Wednesday, the Indian telecom ministry announced that the Sanchar Saathi app, designed for anti-theft and cybersecurity protection, will be available on a voluntary basis rather than mandatory. This announcement effectively nullifies a directive issued just a week earlier, which had mandated that all smartphones include the app and that its features could not be disabled. The initial mandate raised alarm bells about potential invasions of user privacy and government overreach. In its latest statement, the ministry acknowledged the app's increasing adoption and opted against making its pre-installation compulsory for manufacturers. However, sources within the industry reported that smartphone makers are still waiting for formal guidance on this reversal, as no official notification has yet been issued. Since its launch in January 2025, Sanchar Saathi has garnered around 14 million downloads and processes information on approximately 2,000 cyber-fraud incidents daily, according to the Indian government. The recent controversies surrounding the mandate have sparked a surge in interest, with 600,000 citizens downloading the app on December 2 alone. Despite the government’s assurances, confusion lingered over the app's status as voluntary. Earlier statements from telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia indicated users could uninstall the app at will, contrasting with the earlier directive that restricted its functionalities. This discrepancy has led to criticism that the government was downplaying the extent of its mandate. Concerns from within the tech industry also emerged, with manufacturers expressing doubts about the feasibility of enforcing a system-level app without clear legal support. As the situation unfolded, Deputy telecom minister Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar noted that Apple had not participated in the working group that developed the initiative, though other smartphone companies were involved. As of November, Sanchar Saathi boasted over 3 million monthly active users, according to marketing intelligence from Sensor Tower, along with a significant increase in web traffic, showing a 49% rise in unique visitors year-over-year. The Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights organization based in New Delhi, welcomed the government's reversal but urged vigilance, highlighting the need for a formal legal order to accompany the announcement. They emphasized that while this development is promising, it should be met with cautious optimism until revised guidelines under the Cyber Security Rules, 2024, are issued and verified. Meanwhile, other components of the Sanchar Saathi initiative continue to evolve, with requirements for device validation through a central IMEI database remaining in place, as the telecom ministry pilots an API to facilitate direct submissions of customer and device information to the government.