New Delhi, December 4, 2025 — India’s government has executed a rare, rapid U‑turn on a controversial plan to force every new smartphone sold in the country to carry a government cybersecurity app called Sanchar Saathi, following a storm of criticism from privacy advocates, opposition parties and global tech giants.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Communications revoked a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) order that had quietly instructed smartphone makers to pre‑install Sanchar Saathi on all new devices, and push it via software updates to phones already in the supply chain, with the app’s functions not allowed to be disabled. [1]
Officials now say the pre‑installation will not be mandatory. Instead, Sanchar Saathi will remain a voluntary app, available from official app stores and removable by users — a major climbdown from the original directive. [2]
Quick summary: What just happened?
- The mandate is gone: The government has withdrawn its November 28 order that would have required all phone makers to pre‑install Sanchar Saathi and ensure its features could not be restricted. [3]
- App stays, but as optional: Users can download (or keep) Sanchar Saathi if they wish — and crucially, they can delete it. [4]
- Backlash triggered the reversal: Digital rights groups, opposition politicians and industry insiders warned of mass surveillance, violation of consent and constitutional challenges. [5]
- Big Tech pushed back: Apple made clear it would not comply with the undeletable‑app mandate, while Samsung and others were reviewing their options. [6]
- Government cites “increasing acceptance”: Officials say they reversed course because the app is gaining traction organically, now boasting about 1.4 crore (14 million) downloads and helping flag around 2,000 fraud incidents a day. [7]
What is Sanchar Saathi and why was it created?
Sanchar Saathi (“communication companion”) is a state‑developed cybersecurity and telecom safety platform run by India’s Department of Telecommunications. It exists both as a mobile app and a web portal. [8]
According to official descriptions, Sanchar Saathi aims to:
- Help users block or track lost and stolen phones via the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR).
- Let citizens check all mobile connections issued in their name and disconnect suspicious ones.
- Verify the authenticity of a device’s IMEI number (the unique identifier linked to each phone).
- Report suspected fraud communications, such as scam calls or messages. [9]
The government frames the app as a key tool in its fight against soaring digital fraud and telecom‑related scams, at a time when more than 85% of Indian households now own a smartphone. [10]
What did the now‑revoked order actually say?
The DoT’s confidential directive, dated 28 November, went far beyond simply promoting a security app. It required that: [11]
- All new smartphones manufactured or imported for India must ship with Sanchar Saathi pre‑installed within 90 days.
- The app must be visible and accessible during initial setup, and its features “not disabled or restricted.”
- For phones already in warehouses or in transit, manufacturers should “endeavour” to push the app via software updates.
- Companies had to file compliance reports with the telecom ministry within 120 days.
In short, the order would have meant an effectively undeletable, state‑run app baked into nearly every smartphone sold in India — a level of integration usually reserved for system apps from device makers or platform providers.
Why did the plan spark such a massive backlash?
1. Privacy and “snooping app” fears
Opposition politicians quickly branded Sanchar Saathi a “snooping app”, alleging that compulsory, non‑removable installation could hand the state a backdoor into citizens’ most personal devices. [12]
Digital rights groups, including the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) and the Software Freedom Law Centre, warned that: [13]
- The mandate represented a “deeply worrying expansion” of executive control over personal devices.
- It undermined basic principles of user consent and autonomy.
- Deep integration of a state app could lead to “function creep” — new features being added over time, quietly expanding surveillance capabilities without fresh public debate.
Critics also pointed out that Sanchar Saathi’s permissions appear broad. As highlighted in an NDTV opinion piece, the app can request access to call and SMS logs, the photo gallery, the camera, and the ability to make and manage phone calls — raising questions about how much data it could access, even if the government insists it doesn’t misuse it. [14]
2. The consent problem
Government supporters argued that many commercial apps collect even more data. But privacy advocates countered that there is a critical difference: users choose to install private apps, while Sanchar Saathi was being forced onto every device without genuine consent. [15]
As columnist Vir Sanghvi put it in NDTV, even if the government’s intentions are benign, a mandatory, undeletable state app on every phone was always going to trigger anxiety in a country already scarred by earlier debates over Aadhaar, DigiYatra and COVID‑tracking tools. [16]
3. Legal and constitutional questions
Reports in Indian media suggest that legal experts had warned the directive could be vulnerable to constitutional challenge, especially under India’s growing body of data protection and privacy law. Some officials privately acknowledged that tying users to an undeletable government app clashes with the spirit of the new Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), 2023, which emphasises consent and user rights over personal data. [17]
How did Apple, Samsung and other tech giants react?
The controversy escalated dramatically when it emerged that Apple had no intention of complying with the mandate.
A Reuters exclusive on December 2 reported that Apple would tell New Delhi that it does not preload state apps anywhere in the world and that the Sanchar Saathi requirement raised serious privacy and security concerns for the iOS ecosystem. [18]
Key points from industry sources: [19]
- Apple argued that modifying its tightly controlled platform to include a non‑removable government app would create unacceptable vulnerabilities and set a precedent it wants to avoid globally.
- Samsung and other Android manufacturers were reviewing the order. Although Android is more flexible than iOS, phone makers reportedly had no prior precedent of pre‑installing state apps anywhere else.
- Some executives even floated the idea that a legal challenge wasn’t off the table if the government insisted.
By Wednesday, multiple outlets reported that both Apple and Samsung had effectively refused to comply, intensifying pressure on the government to retreat. [20]
The government’s defence — and its U‑turn
“Voluntary, transparent, and not for snooping”
Faced with questions in Parliament and a wave of negative coverage, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia went on the defensive.
He repeatedly stressed that: [21]
- Sanchar Saathi is a “voluntary, transparent” tool designed purely for consumer safety and combating fraud.
- Users remain free to activate or delete the app at any time.
- “Snooping is neither possible nor will happen through Sanchar Saathi,” he told the Lok Sabha, insisting that the app does not access personal data without explicit user action.
A senior official also claimed that the instruction that app functionalities must not be disabled was aimed at preventing manufacturers from shipping crippled or hidden versions of the app, not at blocking users from deleting it — a reading many lawyers and privacy advocates strongly dispute. [22]
“Increasing acceptance” — or pressure from all sides?
In its formal notification revoking the mandate, the Ministry of Communications framed the reversal as a response to Sanchar Saathi’s organic popularity. Officials cited internal data claiming: [23]
- About 1.4 crore Indians have now downloaded the app.
- Registrations surged by around 600,000 new users in just 24 hours, a ten‑fold spike.
- The platform is helping flag roughly 2,000 fraud incidents per day across the country.
However, reports in outlets such as the Hindustan Times and others paint a more complex picture. Sources told journalists that: [24]
- The DoT was under “too much pressure” from industry and legal advisors.
- Once the government conceded that users could delete the app, it undercut the logic of a mandatory pre‑install — anyone intent on fraud could simply remove it.
- Internal consultations suggested the directive might struggle to survive constitutional scrutiny, particularly on grounds of privacy and proportionality.
Digital rights groups like the IFF have welcomed the reversal but describe it as “cautious optimism, not closure” until a formal legal order is published and scrutinised. [25]
NDTV’s 5 lessons: What went wrong with the rollout?
In a widely shared column, journalist Vir Sanghvi outlined five key mistakes the government made with the Sanchar Saathi mandate: [26]
- Ignoring predictable backlash
India has already seen intense debates over Aadhaar, DigiYatra and other data‑heavy initiatives. It should not have been surprising that a new, mandatory government app — with sweeping permissions — would trigger alarm. - Lack of consultation
The mandate arrived without meaningful public debate or transparent consultation with citizens, privacy experts or even the smartphone industry, undercutting democratic norms of policymaking. - Over‑broad permissions and weak privacy design
The app’s permission requests go beyond what is strictly needed to report fraud or block phones. Critics note the absence of clear statements on user rights, or easy mechanisms to correct or delete stored data. - No real concept of consent
Comparing Sanchar Saathi to commercial apps that users freely install misses the point: consent is meaningful only when people have a real choice, not when a non‑removable state app is forced onto every device. - Taking citizens for granted
The government appears to have underestimated how strongly Indians — especially after the Supreme Court’s recognition of the right to privacy — react to perceived overreach into their personal digital lives.
How does this fit into India’s broader privacy and tech regulation story?
The Sanchar Saathi controversy lands just weeks after India brought key provisions of its Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 into force and notified detailed DPDP Rules 2025, which tighten standards on how companies collect and handle personal data. [27]
Under this new regime:
- Organisations must minimise data collection, be transparent about why they collect it, and notify users about breaches.
- Users gain stronger rights to access, correct and erase their data, and to withdraw consent. [28]
Yet the law also allows the government to exempt its own agencies from some provisions on grounds like national security and public order — a clause that worries many privacy scholars. [29]
The Sanchar Saathi episode shows the tension between India’s desire to crack down on cybercrime and a growing expectation — both domestically and globally — that state power over digital devices must be clearly bounded, transparent and rights‑respecting.
International comparisons: Russia’s MAX app
India is not alone in experimenting with state‑mandated apps on consumer devices.
Al Jazeera’s explainer notes that Russia launched a government‑backed app called “Max”, mandatory on all new phones and tablets since September, pitched as a way to combat fraud and expand access to public services. Critics there also fear it will be used to track citizens’ digital activities, a charge Moscow denies. [30]
India’s now‑withdrawn order drew immediate comparisons with such moves, fuelling worries that New Delhi was inching toward a more intrusive, “always‑on” digital state.
What does this mean right now for smartphone users in India?
As of today, December 4, 2025:
- No one can force Sanchar Saathi onto your new phone as a non‑removable app. The mandatory pre‑installation directive has been revoked. [31]
- Sanchar Saathi remains available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store as a voluntary app. You can install it if you find its fraud‑reporting and phone‑blocking features useful — and you can uninstall it any time. [32]
- If your phone brand had pre‑loaded the app before the U‑turn, you should now be able to delete it like any other app, according to government statements and industry guidance. [33]
However, the larger policy debate is very much alive. Expect future clashes — and hopefully more open consultations — as India’s government continues to balance cybersecurity, digital convenience and the fundamental right to privacy.
FAQ: Sanchar Saathi, privacy and you
1. Is Sanchar Saathi safe to use?
The government insists the app is secure, does not enable snooping and only activates when users register and submit information. Privacy experts argue that security also depends on how much data is collected, how long it is stored, and what legal safeguards exist — areas where they want more transparency and independent audits. [34]
2. Should I uninstall it if it came pre‑installed?
That’s a personal choice. If you’re uncomfortable with potential data access and don’t feel you need its features (like fraud reporting or lost‑phone blocking), you can uninstall it. If you find those tools helpful, you can keep it — but it’s wise to review its permissions and your comfort level with those.
3. Could a similar mandate come back later in another form?
Legally, the government still has broad powers under telecom and cybersecurity rules, and under certain exemptions in the new data protection law. The backlash over Sanchar Saathi may make policymakers more cautious — but digital rights groups say continued vigilance and public scrutiny will be essential. [35]
Key takeaway
The Sanchar Saathi saga is a textbook example of how tech policy can collide with public trust:
- A tool designed to fight fraud and make phones safer was almost sunk by poor process, weak communication and aggressive implementation.
- A fast‑moving backlash — from citizens, activists, lawyers and global tech firms — forced a rare, public U‑turn from a government not known for reversing course.
- Going forward, any attempt to embed the state deeper into people’s personal devices will likely face the same question from Indian citizens:
Does this protect me — or watch me?
How the government answers that question, in law and in practice, will shape India’s digital future far beyond Sanchar Saathi.
References
1. indianexpress.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. indianexpress.com, 4. indianexpress.com, 5. www.aljazeera.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. indianexpress.com, 8. indianexpress.com, 9. trak.in, 10. www.aljazeera.com, 11. www.aljazeera.com, 12. www.aljazeera.com, 13. www.aljazeera.com, 14. www.ndtv.com, 15. www.ndtv.com, 16. www.ndtv.com, 17. www.meity.gov.in, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. www.reuters.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. indianexpress.com, 22. indianexpress.com, 23. indianexpress.com, 24. www.hindustantimes.com, 25. www.aljazeera.com, 26. www.ndtv.com, 27. www.hoganlovells.com, 28. www.meity.gov.in, 29. prsindia.org, 30. www.aljazeera.com, 31. www.reuters.com, 32. apnews.com, 33. indianexpress.com, 34. www.reuters.com, 35. www.aljazeera.com
