New Delhi: The government on Wednesday withdrew its order requiring smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the cyber security app Sanchar Saathi on new devices.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) said the decision follows a tenfold increase in voluntary app downloads in just one day.
“The number of users has been increasing rapidly. The mandate to install the app was intended to accelerate this process and make it easily accessible to less aware citizens. In the last one day alone, 6 lakh citizens registered to download the app, a tenfold increase. Given its rising acceptance, the government has decided not to make pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers,” the DoT said in a statement.
Earlier, in its November 28 order, the DoT had directed smartphone makers to pre-install the app on all new devices and push it via updates on older devices.
The order had sparked controversy, with opposition leaders raising privacy and snooping concerns, claiming the app could listen to calls and monitor messages.
With PTI inputs