India has backtracked on its previously mandatory cybersecurity app, saying it can now be deleted by users if they so prefer. — AFP
India sought to address concerns that its mandate to pre-install a cybersecurity app on mobile phones could invade privacy or enable surveillance, saying individuals can remove the software from devices.
In a Nov. 28 directive, the Ministry of Communications asked phone makers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app, which is aimed at curbing cyber fraud. The order instructed firms to ensure the app is readily accessible and "that its functionalities are not disabled or restricted.”
"If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it,” Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in a statement on Tuesday posted by the ministry on X. "It is optional.”
The government’s order to require the app on mobile phones had sparked an uproar. Opposition Congress party leader Mallikarjun Kharge said in a Tuesday post on X the move would lead to "snooping, surveilling, scanning and peeping,” calling it "akin to dictatorship.”
Government officials, who asked not to be named, said the app is designed for items such as helping users fight back against fraud, block stolen handsets from being used and check the veracity of mobile connections. They said the app has access to phone data such as logs of phone calls and text messages, and seeks permissions from users to use the camera and other functions. They said it never has access to the microphone, location, Bluetooth or operating system.
The stakes are high for any mandate on telecommunications in the world’s most populous country. Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google closely control their mobile ecosystems and generally resist attempts to influence their platforms, arguing that strict oversight is needed to ensure quality and protect user privacy.
Apple is considering formally resisting the move, Reuters reported. Representatives for the company didn’t respond to requests for comment. Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple’s annual sales in India hit a record of nearly $9 billion in the last fiscal year, signaling growing consumer demand for its flagship devices as the company ramps up its retail footprint in the country.
The government has defended the mandate, saying that since the app’s launch, 14 million downloads have been documented while 2.6 million lost and stolen phones have been traced.
Scindia said the app isn’t for surveillance but a tool for citizen safety.
"Sanchar Saathi is voluntary, transparent, and designed solely to protect India’s mobile consumers while advancing the nation’s cybersecurity,” Scindia said in a statement on Tuesday. "Users have complete freedom to activate, or delete the app at any time, ensuring safety without compromising privacy.” – Bloomberg
