IN WHAT appears to be an overnight change of mind, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Wednesday revoked its order directing phone makers to mandatorily pre-install the state-owned Sanchar Saathi application.
The November 28 confidential order had sparked worries not just around potential surveillance by digital rights groups, but also around its impact on the businesses of big mobile phone makers such as Apple and Google, which own the iOS and Android operating systems, respectively.
In fact, Apple and Google were planning to push back against the order with concerns around privacy and system security weighing heavy on their minds. An industry executive had even said that a “legal challenge” was not out of the question.
Revoking the order on Wednesday, the Ministry of Communications said, “Given Sanchar Saathi’s increasing acceptance, Government has decided not to make the pre- installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers.” It said so far 1.4 crore users had downloaded the app and were contributing to information on 2,000 fraud incidents per day.
But till Tuesday night, the government defended the app citing cybersecurity as its top priority. It, however, said users were free to not register on it, and could delete the app.
The initial DoT order had directed smartphone manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi applications on new phones, and also on old phones by means of a software update. The functions of the app cannot be disabled or restricted, it had said. Sanchar Saathi is a state-developed cybersecurity application and allows users to report fraudulent calls, messages, and stolen mobile phones.
Earlier in the day, Minister for Communication and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia said the government was ready to change the order if needed. “…if we have to bring about a change in the order based on the feedback we receive, we are ready for it,” he said in Parliament. Addressing concerns around surveillance, he said, “Neither is snooping possible, nor will it be done”.
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Industry sources aware of the companies’ point of view said the phone-makers have no history or precedent of pre-installing state-owned applications to their devices anywhere in the world. The change poses operational challenges since it could require them to customise iOS and Android specifically for India.
On Tuesday, Scindia had clarified the app was optional and users would be able to delete it. “Digital security for every citizen is our topmost priority. Sanchar Saathi is voluntary, transparent, and designed solely to protect India’s mobile consumers while advancing the nation’s cybersecurity. Users have complete freedom to activate, or delete the app at any time, ensuring safety without compromising privacy,” he said.
A senior government official said the clause preventing disabling the app’s functions in the DoT directive means that “manufacturers must not hide, cripple or pre‑install a non-functional version of the app and later claim compliance”. “Nowhere it has been mentioned in the clause that the Sanchar Saathi App cannot be deleted by the end user,” the official said.
Civil society activists had raised alarm bells over the potential implications on people’s privacy by mandating the app, since preloading it defeats the principles of choice and consent, while leaving the potential for ‘functional creeping’ in the future. ‘Functional creeping’ refers to a gradual expansion of a system beyond its original purpose.
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