The government on Wednesday afternoon cancelled its earlier order that required all smartphone companies to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on phones sold in India. This means companies like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and others will no longer be forced to include the app on new devices.

What is Sanchar Saathi app

Earlier, the government had made the app mandatory to make sure more people used it. Sanchar Saathi is a cybersecurity app designed to help users protect their phones from fraud, track lost or stolen phones, and stay safe from cybercriminals. However, the order faced criticism, and companies like Apple were reportedly planning to challenge it legally.

The government explained why it changed its decision. It said the number of users downloading the app has been growing very fast on its own. More than six lakh people downloaded the app in just 24 hours, and over 1.4 crore users have downloaded it so far. Because people are already installing the app without it being compulsory, the government felt it no longer needed to force companies to pre-install it.

The government also said the earlier rule was meant only to speed up the process of spreading the app among citizens. Since the app is gaining popularity quickly, the pre-installation rule is no longer necessary.

The statement repeated what Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had already said in Parliament: the app is not harmful and can be deleted anytime. He assured people that Sanchar Saathi has only one purpose, to protect users from cyber fraud. It does not collect unnecessary information and does not have any hidden functions.

The government added that its main aim is to make cybersecurity tools easily available to all citizens. But since people are already downloading the app in large numbers, making it compulsory is not needed anymore. With this rollback, smartphone makers will now continue selling devices without the mandatory app, and users can choose freely whether or not they want to install Sanchar Saathi.