- The move marks a rare policy reversal for the Modi government.
- Congress and tech companies are questioning the legality of the move.
- The Indian government says it is backtracking due to the popularity of the app.
India’s government on Wednesday reversed an order for smartphone makers to preload a state-run cybersecurity app on all new devices, after an outcry from politicians, privacy advocates and global tech companies over surveillance fears.
On November 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had privately asked companies including Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi to pre-load new phones with a non-deletable app called Sanchar Saathi within 90 days. Reuters was the first to report on Monday.
“The government has decided not to make pre-installation mandatory for mobile phone manufacturers,” India’s Ministry of Communications said in a press release on Wednesday.
The move follows protests from opposition parties over the issue, while newspaper editorials joined privacy advocates in denouncing the move.
The government also found itself at odds with phone makers, with Apple and Samsung considering not complying with the directive, according to sources.
A day earlier, government ministers defended the project, saying the app only helps track and block stolen phones and prevent their misuse.
“The app is secure and is only intended to help citizens against bad actors in the cyber world,” the government said in its statement Wednesday, saying it was backtracking because the app was growing in popularity.
Data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower showed a 13% increase in daily downloads to 78,000 on Monday.
Political protests and privacy concerns
The reversal will nonetheless be embarrassing for Modi’s government, and follows a reversal last year on a laptop import licensing policy after lobbying by US officials, which would have required companies to obtain licenses for shipments.
Earlier on Wednesday, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a notice to Parliament that the government needs to clarify the legal authority to “mandate a non-removable app” and called for a debate on privacy and security risks.
“The grave, serious and real fear is also that such a compulsorily installed application may have a backdoor, thereby absolutely compromising the user’s data and privacy,” he added.
Free speech advocacy organization Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) welcomed Wednesday’s ruling but said it was awaiting a legal order explaining the decision.
Modi’s plan had little precedent, industry sources said. Russia is perhaps the only other known example. Moscow ordered in August that a state-backed messaging app called MAX, a WhatsApp rival that critics say could be used to track users, be pre-installed on all mobile phones and tablets.
Modi has previously been criticized over privacy issues. In 2020, his government was criticized for a mandatory Covid-19 contact tracing app for office workers. This measure was later diluted in a request when privacy advocates protested.
