Sanchar Saathi no longer mandatory on new phones, says Centre: Full statement

The central government on Wednesday retracted its decision to mandate pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones. The Ministry of Communications’ order had sparked widespread criticism from rights groups and opposition parties.

The government had earlier mandated the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones to enhance cybersecurity and enable citizens to report cyberfraud. With 1.4 crore downloads, the government notified the decision to make pre-installation optional for mobile manufacturers.