New Delhi: The government has withdrawn its recent mandate requiring smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices, following a surge in privacy concerns and political debate both on social media and in Parliament.
The mandate, announced last week, had directed major companies including Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi to preload the app within 90 days. The decision was intended to accelerate citizen access to cyber safety tools, the government said.
In an official statement, the government clarified that Sanchar Saathi is a secure platform designed solely to protect users from cyber fraud, identify bad actors, and enable citizens to report suspicious activities as part of “Jan Bhagidari”.
“There is no other function other than protecting the users in the app and they can remove the app whenever they want,” the government stated, stressing that uninstallation remains fully permitted.
So far, 1.4 crore users have downloaded the app, contributing information on around 2,000 cyber fraud incidents every day. Officials said interest in the app has surged rapidly, registering six lakh new users in a single day, a tenfold increase, indicating public trust in the initiative.
The initial mandate triggered strong criticism from opposition leaders and digital rights activists, who raised fears of potential surveillance and misuse. Reports also suggested that Apple had refused to comply with the directive, while other major firms had not yet issued public responses.
Government officials, including Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, dismissed claims that the app would be non-removable as a rumour and highlighted the benefits of Sanchar Saathi.
However, citing the rising voluntary adoption of Sanchar Saathi, the government has now formally announced that “(the) Government has decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers”.