6 months ago
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The Ministry of Communications connected Wednesday (December 3, 2025) reversed its determination to mandate pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app connected each smartphones, conscionable days aft the bid sparked wide disapproval from integer rights groups and absorption parties.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had connected Monday issued a directive requiring telephone manufacturers to pre-install the cybersecurity app connected each devices from March 2026 onwards, citing concerns implicit handsets with duplicate oregon spoofed IMEI numbers posing threats to telecom security.
However, facing aggravated pushback implicit privateness and surveillance concerns, the authorities announced it would nary longer enforce the mandatory pre-installation requirement.
Surge successful downloads cited arsenic reason
In a property release, the Government attributed the argumentation reversal to the app’s “increasing acceptance” among users. Officials said the Sanchar Saathi app witnessed a melodramatic surge successful adoption pursuing the archetypal announcement, with 6 lakh caller registrations recorded successful a azygous time — a tenfold summation successful uptake.
“Given Sanchar Saathi’s expanding acceptance, Government has decided not to marque the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers,” the merchandise stated.
The app, launched successful 2023 arsenic a portal for citizens to study suspicious telephone calls and cyber fraud, presently has 1.4 crore users who collectively study astir 2,000 fraud incidents daily.
Privacy concerns sparked Opposition
The mandatory pre-installation bid had drawn crisp disapproval from integer rights advocates and absorption parties, who raised concerns astir imaginable authorities surveillance and infringement connected idiosyncratic choice.
The authorities defended the app successful its statement, insisting it is “secure and purely meant to assistance citizens from atrocious actors successful the cyber world” with nary different relation beyond idiosyncratic protection. Officials emphasized that users could uninstall the app astatine immoderate time.
The reversal marks a uncommon lawsuit of the authorities walking backmost a exertion mandate pursuing nationalist pressure, suggesting that voluntary adoption rates were deemed capable to conscionable cybersecurity objectives without enforcing the arguable requirement.
