The Central government has rolled back its directive requiring mandatory pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all new smartphones sold in India. The sudden decision came after strong reactions from privacy advocates, opposition leaders and tech users, who argued that forcing the app onto devices would compromise user autonomy and raise concerns of digital surveillance. The government clarified that the app — designed to help track lost phones, block stolen devices and prevent mobile fraud — will remain available for voluntary download. Officials added that the rising user adoption shows the initiative’s usefulness without making installation compulsory.
