Outrage as India forces undeletable Govt App on phones; sparks constitutional backlash
India, home to one of the world’s largest smartphone user bases, is increasingly at the center of debates over digital freedom, privacy, and government surveillance. With mandatory apps and tighter controls over messaging platforms, the latest directives signal a new and far more contested phase of the country’s technological governance.
- Privacy researchers also raised concerns about the precedent it sets, especially as Apple’s long-standing policy forbids governments from forcing pre-installed apps — a rule the technology giant has historically refused to bend, even under political pressure.
- Political opposition leaders accused the government of using cybersecurity as a cover for intrusive monitoring.
India’s latest move to tighten digital surveillance has triggered a major backlash from privacy advocates, opposition leaders, and technology experts. The government has directed smartphone manufacturers — including global giants Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo — to pre-install its state-run ‘Sanchar Saathi’ cybersecurity app on all new devices within 90 days, without giving users the ability to remove or disable it.
The order, issued privately and later confirmed through the Press Information Bureau, also requires that existing phones receive the app via software updates, effectively placing the app on more than a billion devices nationwide.
The mandate specifies that Sanchar Saathi must appear on a phone at first setup, be fully functional, and remain permanently accessible with no option for the user to delete or deactivate it, according to dw.com
The government argues the app is necessary to fight rising cybercrime and fraudulent SIM activity, noting that it has already helped trace more than 700,000 lost or stolen phones. But critics say the directive goes far beyond cyber safety.
Digital rights organizations slammed the move as a serious overreach of state power.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) issued a sharply worded statement calling the order “a deeply worrying expansion of executive control over personal digital devices.”
“This converts every smartphone sold in India into a vessel for state-mandated software that the user cannot meaningfully refuse, control, or remove,” the group warned, adding that it is prepared to challenge the directive in court.
Privacy researchers also raised concerns about the precedent it sets, especially as Apple’s long-standing policy forbids governments from forcing pre-installed apps — a rule the technology giant has historically refused to bend, even under political pressure.
Political opposition leaders accused the government of using cybersecurity as a cover for intrusive monitoring.
“A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian,” said Congress party leader K.C. Venugopal.
He labeled the policy “beyond unconstitutional” and warned it could allow authorities to track citizens’ movements, interactions, and choices.
The criticism echoes global concerns: Russia introduced a similar mandate earlier this year and faced intense domestic and international backlash.
The controversy deepened after the Department of Telecommunications issued another sweeping directive: all major messaging apps — including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat and others — must verify that the registered SIM card is physically present in the device.
Web-based sessions (such as WhatsApp Web) must also force-log users out every six hours.
Officials say the measure aims to curb fraud and the misuse of communication identifiers, but critics argue it represents yet another erosion of digital autonomy.
India, home to one of the world’s largest smartphone user bases, is increasingly at the center of debates over digital freedom, privacy, and government surveillance. With mandatory apps and tighter controls over messaging platforms, the latest directives signal a new and far more contested phase of the country’s technological governance.
