India Ditches Plan to Force Smartphone Makers to Preinstall "Security" App Amid Backlash
The Indian government has announced that it will no longer require smartphone manufacturers to pre-install its Sanchar Saathi app on new devices, following intense backlash from tech giants and opposition leaders. The move comes as the app's mandatory installation was widely seen as a threat to user privacy.
Initially, the government had given phone makers 90 days to preload the app on all new phones and deliver it to existing devices via software updates. However, after Apple and Samsung refused to comply with the order, citing concerns over user data security and privacy, the government has reversed its stance.
According to the Indian Ministry of Communications, the decision was made due to strong voluntary adoption of the app by users, with 14 million people (around 1% of the population) having downloaded it. However, this figure is a far cry from the expected number of downloads had the app been mandatory.
Industry experts have warned that pre-installing an app on devices could be used as a backdoor for mass surveillance, and the Indian government's claim that the app exists solely for cybersecurity purposes was widely questioned. The app's privacy policy has been criticized for allowing it to access user data such as call and message histories, files, photos, and even the camera.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a US-based digital rights group, hailed the decision as a victory, stating that "this was a terrible and dangerous idea by the Indian government that lasted 24 hours longer than it ever should have." The EFF praised colleagues in India who had opposed the plan, saying they were "promptly opposing" it.
The reversal of the plan is likely due to pressure from tech giants like Apple and Samsung, as well as opposition leaders. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had called on the government to clarify its legal authority for mandating a non-removable app. Despite this, it seems that domestic political pressure played a significant role in the reversal of the plan.
In August, Russia's Vladimir Putin regime was cited as an example of a country that required messenger apps to be pre-installed on all devices, sparking similar concerns over surveillance and data security. The move highlights the growing scrutiny surrounding tech companies' compliance with government demands, particularly when it comes to user data protection.
The Indian government has announced that it will no longer require smartphone manufacturers to pre-install its Sanchar Saathi app on new devices, following intense backlash from tech giants and opposition leaders. The move comes as the app's mandatory installation was widely seen as a threat to user privacy.
Initially, the government had given phone makers 90 days to preload the app on all new phones and deliver it to existing devices via software updates. However, after Apple and Samsung refused to comply with the order, citing concerns over user data security and privacy, the government has reversed its stance.
According to the Indian Ministry of Communications, the decision was made due to strong voluntary adoption of the app by users, with 14 million people (around 1% of the population) having downloaded it. However, this figure is a far cry from the expected number of downloads had the app been mandatory.
Industry experts have warned that pre-installing an app on devices could be used as a backdoor for mass surveillance, and the Indian government's claim that the app exists solely for cybersecurity purposes was widely questioned. The app's privacy policy has been criticized for allowing it to access user data such as call and message histories, files, photos, and even the camera.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a US-based digital rights group, hailed the decision as a victory, stating that "this was a terrible and dangerous idea by the Indian government that lasted 24 hours longer than it ever should have." The EFF praised colleagues in India who had opposed the plan, saying they were "promptly opposing" it.
The reversal of the plan is likely due to pressure from tech giants like Apple and Samsung, as well as opposition leaders. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had called on the government to clarify its legal authority for mandating a non-removable app. Despite this, it seems that domestic political pressure played a significant role in the reversal of the plan.
In August, Russia's Vladimir Putin regime was cited as an example of a country that required messenger apps to be pre-installed on all devices, sparking similar concerns over surveillance and data security. The move highlights the growing scrutiny surrounding tech companies' compliance with government demands, particularly when it comes to user data protection.
this whole thing is wild, right? like, who tries to force phone manufacturers to preinstall an app on new devices just because they think it's for "security"? 
the Indian gov is basically saying that users don't know what's good for them and they need to be protected... meanwhile, we all know that's not true 
and now we just gotta worry about them finding ways to get around any new rules 
guess that's what happens when you try to impose your will on tech companies 
plus, they're basically saying it's okay for an app to access all ur personal data... no thanks 
It's already hard enough keeping our personal lives private online. The idea of pre-installing an app just seemed like overkill to me. And what about people who don't want to download it anyway? It's not exactly the most tech-savvy move from the government. Plus, I'm all for user choice and freedom. Let's keep our data secure and private, you know? 
. I guess the Indian gov't was like "hey, we gotta get this data" 
and Apple & Samsung were all like "nope, not on our watch" 
. Can you imagine if your phone was pre-installed with a surveillance app? 
No thanks! 
. I'm glad India decided to pull the plug on this plan 
. It's all about balance between gov't needs and user rights, right? 
just found out that some Indian gov't officials were really pushing for a mandatory "security" app on phones 
... turns out people weren't having it 
and now the plan is scrapped 
. guess some ppl just aren't down w/ government snooping 
. I mean, who wants their personal data being siphoned off by the government without even knowing it? 
Not me, that's for sure 
. The fact that only 1% of people actually downloaded the app is pretty telling too...I guess the Indian government was expecting more pushback from the public