Government withdraws mandatory Sanchar Saathi pre-installation on phones after backlash
The Ministry of Communications attributed the policy reversal to the app’s ‘increasing acceptance’ among users
The government on Wednesday revoked the order regarding the mandatory pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones, citing app’s increasing acceptance.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in an order dated November 28, had mandated the mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app in new smartphones, as well as in existing devices through a software update.
However, the rollback comes after what the government described as the app’s “increasing acceptance”, with over 1.4 crore users already downloading Sanchar Saathi and a 10-fold jump in voluntary app downloads in just one day
Also Read: ‘Snooping with Sanchar Saathi app neither possible, nor will it happen’: Scindia
“The number of users has been increasing rapidly, and the mandate to install the app was meant to accelerate this process and make the app available to less aware citizens easily,” the Department of Telecom said in a statement.
Amid opposition’s “snooping app” allegations, Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia categorically rejected the claims regarding, saying that such use of the application was “not possible”.
“The Government with an intent to provide access to cyber security to all citizens had mandated pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones. The app is secure and purely meant to help citizens from bad actors in the cyber world,” the government statement said.
Also Read: Sanchar Saathi app: What govt ordered, what Oppn alleged, and a clarification
The statement said that the use of the Sanchar Saathi app was protecting the users, and that the app could be removed whenever the users want.
“So far 1.4 crore users have downloaded this app and are contributing to information on 2000 fraud incidents per day…Just in last one day, 6 lakh citizens have registered for downloading the App which is a 10x increase in its uptake. This is affirmation of faith by citizens on this App for protecting themselves provided to them by the Government,” the statement added.
The latest announcement also follows widespread criticism of the app by digital rights activists and politicians after reports claimed that the directive stated the app could not be removed.
However, Scindia clarified that keeping the Sanchar Saathi app on their phones was “not mandatory” and users were free to delete the app if they don’t wish to use it.
