The Union government has rescinded its directive requiring smartphone manufacturers to preinstall the Sanchar Saathi app, following widespread concerns regarding privacy and potential government surveillance.
Initially issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on November 28, the order mandated that companies, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, install the app on all new devices within 90 days. Existing devices in production or within the supply chain were instructed to receive the app through a software update.
Sanchar Saathi, developed by the DoT, is designed to allow users to report stolen phones and fraudulent communications, and to assist authorities in tracking devices. The original order specified that the app must be visible and accessible from the first use, and that its functions could not be disabled or restricted by users.
The directive referenced Rule 5 of the Telecommunication (Telecom Cyber Security) Rules, 2024, amended in October 2025, which grants the government authority to establish digital systems aimed at mitigating cyber threats and preventing the tampering of IMEI numbers. The government argued that devices with duplicate or spoofed identifiers pose a significant risk to telecom cybersecurity.
Positioned as a measure to prevent cybercrime, the directive soon faced resistance from privacy advocates, technology companies, and opposition political entities. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) raised alarms over what it termed “a deeply worrying expansion of executive control over personal digital devices,” drawing parallels to controversial practices in countries such as Russia that mandate government apps on personal devices.
In response to the mounting backlash, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated in Parliament that the government was open to revising its directive based on public feedback, asserting that “neither is snooping possible, nor will it be done.”
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi expressed intentions to address the issue in Parliament, while various opposition parties, including Congress, CPI(M), and Trinamool Congress, demanded the immediate annulment of the directive.
Faced with growing opposition from global manufacturers, particularly from Apple and Google, alongside increasing political scrutiny, the DoT has now revoked the requirement for mandatory app preloading.
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