An Indian government directive requires smartphone manufacturers and importers to pre-install the government-owned “Sanchar Saathi” mobile application, described as a tool to curb telecom and cyber fraud, on all smartphones manufactured or imported into India.
The order, issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through its AI & Digital Intelligence Unit, gives smartphone manufacturers and importers 90 days from the date of the directive to comply, with full pre-installation and no disabling of the app’s functions. For existing devices in sales channels, companies must push the app via software updates.
However, the mandatory nature of the directive, especially the requirement for pre-installation and non-removability, has triggered a heavy backlash from political leaders online and in the parliament today. Opposition leaders have heavily criticised the directive.
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia sought to calm the storm by stating that the Sanchar Saathi app is optional and that users remain free to delete it if they choose. He framed the initiative as a consumer-protection and security measure rather than a mandatory surveillance tool.
Yet citizens and politicians online have argued that the compliance requirements undermine claims of true user choice. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi highlighted that Point 7B of the directive explicitly requires manufacturers to ensure the app’s functionality is not restricted or disabled, which, she argued, sits uneasily with the claim that installation is voluntary.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas described the government’s “optional” clarification as misleading, arguing that compulsory factory pre-loading cannot coexist with genuine consent. He warned that for users with limited digital literacy, a pre-loaded app effectively becomes permanent, raising fears that data collection could begin immediately on installation and potentially continue even after deletion.
Criticism In The Parliament Today
Inside Parliament today, the Sanchar Saathi directive emerged as a flashpoint alongside the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) row, as protests over the latter led to the session being adjourned till December 3.
Congress MP Shashi…
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