After severe backlash on the Sanchar Saathi app from digital rights groups, opposition parties and concerned citizens, the government has revoked the order to make it mandatory for all new smartphones (sold in India) to have the Sanchar Saathi app. The order was issued on December 1 (2025) by the Department of Telecommunications, which was asking the manufacturers to pre-install the cybersecurity app from March 2026 onwards.
The policy was created as one of the important steps for reducing the increasing threat of devices with duplicate or fake IMEI numbers, which officials argued posed a security risk to India's telecom networks. But within 2 days of passing the order, the government was forced to walk back the mandate.
Government cites surge in downloads
In a recent statement, which was released on December 3, the Ministry of Communications explained that the decision to withdraw the mandate was corroborated by the app's "gaining acceptance" among users.
According to the officials, the Sanchar Saathi app saw downloads increase by around tenfold in a single day-6 lakh new registrations-after the announcement.
Sanchar Saathi has 1.4 crore registered users
Sanchar Saathi has 1.4 crore registered users, who collectively reported over 2,000 cyber fraud incidents taking place every day.
Why did the opposition raise the privacy concerns?
- Despite the official explanation given by the government, the backlash rose against the mandate, highlighting immediate and fierce action to be taken to safeguard privacy.
- Digital privacy advocates argued for the rule to put the application on every device which will be launched in India, which will expose them to potential government surveillance.
- Several opposition leaders have criticised the move and warned that mandatory installation will lead to a dangerous precedent for state overreach.
In response to these worries, the government countered with assurances that this app is “secure and purely meant to help citizens from bad actors in the cyber world”. According to authorities, users have full control and can uninstall the app at any moment, trying to mitigate those fears of unfettered data access.
Sanchar Saathi users have voluntary adoption
The mandatory Sanchar Saathi app pre-installation on every upcoming smartphone has been removed, after major backlash – and now it is optional for the people as well.
Although the app has been useful for reporting scams and suspicious calls since 2023, the debate has picked up pace for digital privacy and government-mandated software. It brought out the ongoing requirement for strong data protection regulations in India for smartphone users, which is still an ongoing process from the government.
