Ministry scraps order to pre-install Sanchar app

THe communication theory ministry on midweek said it has dropped its directive requiring mobile river sound manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on every french telephone, citing a large spike in downloads after the initial order on November 28.“Given Sanchar Saathi’s increasing acceptance, government has decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers,” the ministry said in a press release.The move came hours after communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the government was open to amending the directive if people flagged genuine issues.The original directive, issued on November 28, required all phone makers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi on every new device sold in India. While the language suggested users could not remove or disable it, the government – as reported by HT – held from the outset that users could remove the application.But concerns, especially those raised by some advocacy groups and opposition political parties, persisted that the app could become a “snooping” tool. Scindia told the Lok Sabha that Sanchar Saathi does not access personal data and cannot be used for surveillance, insisting the directive was meant only to simplify access to fraud-prevention tools.Department of telecommunications secretary Neeraj Mittal attributed the mandate’s withdrawal to the app’s growing popularity. “Just in one day, 600,000 citizens have registered for downloading the app, which is a 10x increase in its uptake. This is an affirmation of faith by citizens on this app for protecting themselves, provided to them by the government,” the ministry’s statement said.A person aware of the matter said that DoT officials informally checked with legal firms about whether the directive would stand up constitutionally and were told it would not.A second DoT official, who asked not to be named, added: “Many mobile handset manufacturer brands have welcomed the move and are proactively working to implement the mandate. India’s digital future depends on partnerships where government, industry, and citizens unite against common threats like cyber fraud”.Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association, welcomed the government’s decision while emphasising support for cybersecurity measures. “National security must always come first. We fully support the government’s continued efforts to strengthen the safety, integrity and resilience of our digital ecosystem,” he said, calling the withdrawal “a balanced and pragmatic policy approach.” He added that cybersecurity measures are “most effective when they avoid imposing mandatory obligations on users and industry, encouraging adoption through clarity, practicality and confidence-building.”Apple, Google, Lava, Motorola, Oppo, Realme, Vivo and Xiaomi are among the firms that are members of ICEA, an industry body.Digital rights advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation called the withdrawal “a welcome development” but said the full text of the legal order and any revised directions under the Cyber Security Rules, 2024, remain awaited.“For now, we should treat this as cautious optimism, not closure, until the formal legal direction is published and independently confirmed,” the group said.The government has maintained that 14 million users have downloaded the app, contributing information on around 2,000 fraud incidents daily. It said user numbers are rising quickly and the mandate was intended to speed up adoption and make the app easily accessible to citizens who may be less aware.