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

India has scrapped an order requiring smartphone makers to pre-load a state-run e-safety app on new phones after a public uproar.

The order – which was issued last week but announced on Monday – gave smartphone makers 90 days to preload new phones with the new Sanchar Saathi app that could not be “disabled or restricted.” Which raises privacy and surveillance concerns.

The government justified this move, saying it was necessary to verify the authenticity of phones, but cybersecurity experts said it violated citizens’ right to privacy.

The government said it decided to withdraw the order, citing “increasing acceptance” of the application.

So far, 14 million users have downloaded the app, reporting 2,000 scams daily, and on Tuesday alone 600,000 new users were registered — a ten-fold rise, according to India’s Ministry of Telecommunications.

But the order to make registration mandatory led to significant backlash from many cybersecurity experts.

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

Sources told the BBC that the companies were concerned that the directive would be issued without prior consultation and would challenge user privacy standards.

While the order has now been withdrawn, Indian Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia dismissed concerns that the app could be used to increase surveillance.

“Hacking is not possible and will not happen with Sanchar Saathi Safety App,” Scindia said.

Digital advocacy groups welcomed the government’s decision to rescind the order.

“This is a welcome development, but we are still awaiting the full text of the legal regime that should accompany this announcement, including any revised guidance under the 2024 Cybersecurity Rules,” the Internet Freedom Foundation said on X’s website.

“For now, we should treat this as cautious optimism, rather than a closure, until the official legal direction is published and independently confirmed.”

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