Why did India order smartphone makers to install a government app?

India has revoked an bid to smartphone manufacturers to instal a government-owned cybersecurity application connected each caller mobile devices pursuing monolithic backlash amid integer rights concerns.

According to an authoritative notification issued by the Department of Telecommunications connected November 28, each starring smartphone makers, including Apple and Samsung, were fixed 90 days to adhd the government’s Sanchar Saathi exertion to each recently manufactured devices.

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The government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the bid was portion of a determination to tackle fraud and misuse of mobile phones.

The bid faced pushback, however, some from tech companies and integer privateness advocates. Prior to its withdrawal, Apple, based successful the United States, reportedly said it would not comply with the bid owed to a big of privacy- and security-related issues.

Here is what we know.

What did the bid say?

Under the directive issued by India’s Department of Telecommunications, manufacturers were told to guarantee that Sanchar Saathi was “pre-installed connected each mobile handsets manufactured oregon imported for usage successful India” wrong 90 days.

The app, manufacturers were told, was to beryllium “readily disposable and accessible to the extremity users astatine the clip of archetypal usage oregon instrumentality setup” and its features “not disabled oregon restricted”.

For devices already successful supply, manufacturers and importers were told to “make an endeavour to propulsion the App done bundle updates”, the bid stated.

The directive besides required companies to taxable compliance reports to the telecom ministry wrong 120 days.

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) successful May, much than 85 percent of households successful India ain smartphones.

Sanchar Saathi is simply a snooping app, and intelligibly it's ridiculous. Citizens person the close to privacy. Everyone indispensable person the close to privateness to nonstop messages to household and friends without the authorities looking astatine everything.

It's not conscionable snooping connected the telephone. They're… pic.twitter.com/omw2XlD5pq

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 2, 2025

Why did the Indian authorities bid this?

Justifying the order, the authorities said the country’s Telecom Cyber Security Rules empower it to acceptable up mechanisms “necessary to place and study acts that whitethorn endanger telecom cyber security”, and that Sanchar Saathi volition alteration “stakeholders to study International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) – related suspicious misuse and besides to verify authenticity of IMEIs utilized successful mobile devices”.

The IMEI is simply a unsocial 15-digit fig that is utilized to place a circumstantial mobile device.

How did smartphone manufacturers respond?

An manufacture root acquainted with Apple’s interest regarding the app told Reuters that the tech elephantine would explicate to the Indian authorities that it does not travel immoderate specified mandates anyplace successful the world.

Another manufacture insider told Reuters that South Korean-based tech institution Samsung was reviewing the order, but had not fixed immoderate details astir however it planned to prosecute the matter.

What were the criticisms of the order?

The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) of India called it a “deeply worrying enlargement of enforcement power implicit idiosyncratic integer devices”.

“The stated nonsubjective of curbing IMEI fraud and improving telecom information is, connected its face, a morganatic authorities aim. But the means chosen are disproportionate, legally fragile, and structurally hostile to idiosyncratic privateness and autonomy,” it said successful a statement.

Congress person and Lok Sabha subordinate Priyanka Gandhi called Sanchar Saathi a “snooping” app and “ridiculous”.

The Delhi-based Software Freedom Law Centre told Al Jazeera the directive was different illustration of attempts “to instrumentality distant idiosyncratic autonomy, marque a mockery of consent and person 24 hours State successful My Home measure”.

“This is the commencement of a slippery slope of relation creep. Such heavy integration of authorities bundle connected backstage devices ensures an enlargement of surveillance capacities without caller nationalist statement each clip caller changes are made,” it said.

“Government has nary concern being successful our devices that are much intimate to america than our loved ones.”

A akin contention arose successful 2020, erstwhile the Indian authorities required each nationalist and backstage assemblage employees to usage its COVID-19 interaction tracing app, Aarogya Setu, which critics described arsenic a “privacy minefield”.

When did India revoke the order?

Early connected Wednesday, the authorities said it would beryllium consenting to amend the bid “based connected the feedback we receive”. Hours later, the bid was revoked.

“Government has decided not to marque the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers,” India’s Communications Ministry said successful a property statement.

“The app is unafraid and purely meant to assistance citizens from atrocious actors successful the cyber world,” it added.

Government removes mandatory pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi App.

"The Government with an intent to supply entree to cyber information to each citizens had mandated pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi app connected each smartphones. The app is unafraid and purely meant to assistance citizens… pic.twitter.com/u4AgSuLrkh

— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2025

The IFF said that portion this was a “welcome development”, it was inactive awaiting the afloat ineligible bid accompanying the revocation.

Statement

The PIB has conscionable issued a connection astatine 3:00 PM connected December 3, 2025 that the authorities volition not marque pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app mandatory for mobile manufacturers. This is simply a invited development, but we are inactive awaiting the afloat substance of the ineligible order… pic.twitter.com/VQV4t8YNfK

— Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) (@internetfreedom) December 3, 2025

Are different countries making akin orders?

Earlier this year, Russia launched Max, an app aimed astatine curbing the usage of stolen phones successful fraud schemes portion besides broadening entree to state-backed integer services.

Russian authorities assertion Max is much unafraid than apps provided by overseas competitors.

Developed by the state-controlled tech steadfast VK, Max is integrated with authorities platforms and has been mandatory connected each caller mobile phones and tablets sold since September 1.

Moscow said the determination would guarantee a “safer” integer ecosystem. However, critics reason the app is apt to beryllium utilized for surveillance purposes, an allegation Moscow has rejected.

In August, Russia announced restrictions connected dependable calls connected the WhatsApp and Telegram messaging apps, saying they had go the main dependable services utilized to “involve Russian citizens successful sabotage and violent activities”. It alleged that requests to instrumentality countermeasures had been “ignored” by the owners of the societal media apps.