India Drops Plan to Force Smartphone Makers to Preinstall 'Cybersecurity' App Amid Backlash
The Indian government has abruptly reversed its plan to require smartphone makers to preinstall the country's "cybersecurity" app, known as Sanchar Saathi. The decision comes amid strong opposition from tech giants Apple and Samsung, as well as concerns from civil liberties groups.
Initially, the Ministry of Communications had framed the mandatory pre-installation as a measure to increase adoption rates among less aware citizens, citing a voluntary download figure of 14 million users - about 1% of the population. However, industry experts have long warned that the app could be used for mass surveillance, given its ability to access call and message histories, files, photos, and even camera data.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) welcomed the reversal, calling it a "terrible and dangerous idea" that lasted longer than it should have. "We thank our colleagues in India, such as SFLC.in and Internet Freedom Foundation, for promptly opposing this ill-conceived plan," said David Greene, EFF Civil Liberties Director.
In August, Russia became the only known country to require the pre-installation of a messaging app on mobile devices. Industry experts had expressed concerns that similar measures could be used by governments to monitor citizens' activities without their consent.
The move was also met with resistance from opposition leaders, including Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, who called for clarification on the government's legal authority for mandating such a non-removable app. It appears that Apple and Samsung's refusal to comply, as well as domestic political pressure, played a significant role in the reversal of this policy.
The Sanchar Saathi app remains available for download voluntarily, but its original plan has been scrapped, indicating a willingness by the Indian government to listen to concerns about data privacy and surveillance.
The Indian government has abruptly reversed its plan to require smartphone makers to preinstall the country's "cybersecurity" app, known as Sanchar Saathi. The decision comes amid strong opposition from tech giants Apple and Samsung, as well as concerns from civil liberties groups.
Initially, the Ministry of Communications had framed the mandatory pre-installation as a measure to increase adoption rates among less aware citizens, citing a voluntary download figure of 14 million users - about 1% of the population. However, industry experts have long warned that the app could be used for mass surveillance, given its ability to access call and message histories, files, photos, and even camera data.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) welcomed the reversal, calling it a "terrible and dangerous idea" that lasted longer than it should have. "We thank our colleagues in India, such as SFLC.in and Internet Freedom Foundation, for promptly opposing this ill-conceived plan," said David Greene, EFF Civil Liberties Director.
In August, Russia became the only known country to require the pre-installation of a messaging app on mobile devices. Industry experts had expressed concerns that similar measures could be used by governments to monitor citizens' activities without their consent.
The move was also met with resistance from opposition leaders, including Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, who called for clarification on the government's legal authority for mandating such a non-removable app. It appears that Apple and Samsung's refusal to comply, as well as domestic political pressure, played a significant role in the reversal of this policy.
The Sanchar Saathi app remains available for download voluntarily, but its original plan has been scrapped, indicating a willingness by the Indian government to listen to concerns about data privacy and surveillance.
meanwhile, i mean think about it, if gov's can just preinstall an app on our devices without even asking us first, where does that leave us in terms of control over our own data 
... I mean, can you imagine having some govt-approved "cybersecurity" app snoopin' on your private life? 
That's like, totally not what I want from my phone 
. And Russia doin' it first? 
What's next? Forced Facebook updates or somethin'? 
. It's interesting to see Russia taking a similar route with its pre-installation of messaging apps 
So they dropped that plan 'cause people were like "hold up, we don't want some gov't spy on us" lol what's wrong with India wanting to keep its citizens safe though? 
. I mean, who wants their phone makers forcing them to install some app? That just sounds like overreach 
. Plus, there were already legit concerns about mass surveillance and data privacy... not cool 
. And I'm not surprised Apple and Samsung were all against it, they're not exactly known for their willingness to play along with government requests