India appears to have reversed a directive requiring all new smartphones to come with a government-run cybersecurity app pre-installed and impossible to delete, following widespread criticism from privacy advocates, opposition parties and the public.
The original order, issued privately to major manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi, gave companies 90 days to preload the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices and push it to older models via software updates. The move sparked outrage, with critics calling it «dystopian» and likening it to surveillance measures in Russia and North Korea.
Telecoms minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified on Tuesday that the app would remain «completely optional.» Users, he said, should be free to install or delete the app at any time—contradicting the earlier directive.
Sanchar Saathi, launched in January, allows users to block or track stolen phones and identify fraudulent mobile numbers. Government data says it has helped recover more than 700,000 devices and shut down millions of fake connections. Officials argued that mandatory installation was needed to combat rising cyber threats.
But the proposal raised alarms over privacy and digital autonomy, and risked a clash with Apple, whose policies forbid forced pre-installation of government apps. The opposition Congress party called the directive unconstitutional, accusing the government of creating a «surveillance tool to monitor every Indian.»
Digital rights experts warned the mandate would strip users of meaningful consent. «The government effectively removes user choice,» said technology lawyer Mishi Choudhary.
India, the world’s second-largest mobile market, has more than 1.2 bn telecom subscribers. While the government now says the app will remain voluntary, campaigners argue the episode underscores growing concerns about state access to personal data in an increasingly digital society.
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