Sanchar Saathi: India scraps order to pre-install state-run cyber safety app on smartphones

India has scrapped an order making it mandatory for smartphone makers to preload a state-run cyber safety app on new phones after a public furore.

The order gave smartphone makers 90 days to pre-load new phones with its new Sanchar Saathi app which could not be “disabled or restricted”, sparking privacy and surveillance concerns.

The government argued the move was necessary to verify the authenticity of handsets, but cybersecurity experts said it impinged on citizens’ right to privacy.

Withdrawing the order on Wednesday, the government cited the app’s “increasing acceptance”. It came after Apple and Samsung had reportedly resisted the directive to pre-install it on their devices.

So far 14 million users have downloaded the app, reporting 2,000 frauds daily, and on Tuesday alone 600,000 new users registered – a tenfold spike, according to India’s telecom ministry.

But the order – passed last week but made public on Monday – to make the registration mandatory had led to a major backlash from several cybersecurity experts.

Smartphone giants like Apple and Samsung also resisted the directive to pre-install the app on their phones.

Sources told the BBC the companies were concerned the directive was issued without prior consultation and challenged user privacy norms.

While the order has now been withdrawn, India’s Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia dismissed concerns that the app could be used to increase surveillance.

“Snooping is neither possible nor will it happen with the Sanchar Saathi safety app,” Scindia said.

The government’s decision to reverse the order was welcomed by digital advocacy groups.

“This is a welcome development, but we are still awaiting the full text of the legal order that should accompany this announcement, including any revised directions under the Cyber Security Rules, 2024,” the Internet Freedom Foundation said on X.

“For now, we should treat this as cautious optimism, not closure, until the formal legal direction is published and independently confirmed.”

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