Modi government withdraws order to pre-install Sanchar Saathi on smartphones
03 Dec 2025

The Indian government has withdrawn its order mandating the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on all smartphones sold in the country.

The mandate was withdrawn because the app's user base is already growing rapidly, according to the Centre.

They noted that over 1.4 crore people have downloaded the app so far, with more than six lakh downloads in the past 24 hours alone.

The government claimed the initial pre-installation order was simply intended to accelerate this process.

Government's statement on Sanchar Saathi's purpose
App functionality

The government clarified that the Sanchar Saathi app is a secure platform designed to protect citizens from cyber threats. It can be deleted if users wish to do so.

The app was developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as a security and awareness platform for managing digital identities, reporting suspicious activity, and safeguarding devices against cyber risks.

Opposition's concerns and government's response
Privacy debate

The government's decision to mandate pre-installation of the app had faced backlash from opposition leaders and civil activists.

They raised concerns over potential privacy violations and the possibility of the app being used for surveillance, reminiscent of the 2021 Pegasus spyware scandal.

In response, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia assured that snooping was neither possible nor would happen with Sanchar Saathi.

A look at the Pegasus spyware scandal
History

The Pegasus spyware scandal involves allegations that the Centre used Israeli-made surveillance software by NSO Group to snoop on journalists, opposition leaders, and government officials.

Pegasus is a spyware that can infiltrate phones without any user interaction and access data, including messages, camera/microphone, calls, and location.

In India, there were 300 alleged targets including Rahul Gandhi and Prashant Kishor.

The government neither confirmed nor denied buying/using Pegasus. Also, no conclusive evidence of Pegasus usage has been found by Indian courts.

Sanchar Saathi's growing popularity
User feedback

The government noted that the app's success relies on public participation.

With over 1.4 crore downloads and nearly 2,000 fraud reports daily, officials have decided to reassess their approach based on user feedback.

The initial mandate was aimed at helping less aware users access a reliable cybersecurity tool more easily, but given the rapid adoption rate, they feel it's no longer necessary to make pre-installation mandatory.