Centre withdraws directive to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app

The Centre on Wednesday (December 3) rolled back its earlier order directing mandatory pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app amid the Opposition’s ‘snooping’ charge inside and outside the Parliament. The Ministry of Communications announced the decision in a release titled “Government removes mandatory pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi App.”

“The Government, with an intent to provide access to cybersecurity to all citizens, had mandated pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones. The app is secure and purely meant to help citizens from bad actors in the cyber world. It helps in "Jan Bhagidari" by all citizens in reporting on such bad actors and actions while protecting users themselves,” stated a release by the Ministry of Communications.

'No function beyond protecting users'

“There is no other function other than protecting the users in the app, and they can remove the app whenever they want. This has been clarified by the Government. So far, 1.4 crore users have downloaded this app and are contributing to information on 2000 fraud incidents per day,” it added.

Also Read: Apple to reject govt's order to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app: Report

The Ministry further stated that 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.

“Just in the last one day, 6 lakh citizens have registered for downloading the App, which is a 10x increase in its uptake. This is an affirmation of faith by citizens on this App for protecting themselves, provided to them by the Government,” it added.

Scindia's clarification

Earlier, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that users are free to remove the application from their devices. He said the app would function like other pre-loaded services on new phones. “Don’t activate it… If you want to keep it, keep it. If you want to delete it, do so,” Scindia said, comparing it to Google Maps, which appears on most handsets. Google Maps, however, can only be deleted on iPhones; Android devices allow it to be disabled.

Also Read: Explained: What is the Sanchar Saathi app and why has it triggered a row?

Scindia insisted the app was optional and meant for user safety. “There is nothing mandatory… If you do not want to register, don’t. It will stay dormant,” he said, adding that the government wanted to ensure citizens were aware of a tool designed to protect them from fraud.

Congress' charge

However, the Congress intensified its criticism. KC Venugopal called the directive “beyond unconstitutional,” arguing that the right to privacy cannot be compromised. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra labelled Sanchar Saathi a “snooping app,” while Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi termed it “another BIG BOSS surveillance moment.”

Also Read: Government orders smartphone makers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app in 90 Days

Responding, Scindia accused the Opposition of inventing a controversy, saying they refuse to accept the government’s attempts to counter large-scale cyber fraud. He argued the app was being mischaracterised as Pegasus.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge escalated the attack, calling the pre-installation order “akin to dictatorship” and alleging growing threats to citizens’ digital privacy, warning that such actions signal a “dystopian era.”