India scraps order to pre-install state-run cyber safety app on smartphones
8 days ago
- #Privacy
- #Cybersecurity
- #India
- India has withdrawn an order requiring smartphone makers to pre-install the state-run Sanchar Saathi app on new phones due to public backlash.
- The app, aimed at verifying handset authenticity, raised privacy and surveillance concerns among cybersecurity experts and smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung.
- The government cited the app's increasing acceptance, with 14 million downloads and 2,000 fraud reports daily, as a reason for the initial mandate.
- Smartphone companies resisted the directive, citing lack of prior consultation and potential privacy violations.
- India's Communications Minister assured that the app would not be used for snooping, but digital advocacy groups remain cautious until formal legal documents are published.