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India retreats from mandatory cybersecurity app amid fierce privacy concerns

By Freny Patel ( December 4, 2025, 03:17 GMT | Comment) -- The Indian government has scrapped its directive mandating the "Sanchar Saathi" cybersecurity app on new smartphones after just five days. Despite claiming "increasing acceptance," the swift U-turn — forced by industry fury and surveillance fears — is a major victory for digital autonomy against state overreach.In a rare and humiliating policy reversal, the Indian government has been forced to withdraw its controversial directive that would have required all new smartphones sold in the country to come pre-installed with the state-run "Sanchar Saathi" cybersecurity app. The retreat, coming just five days after the initial mandate, is a significant victory for India’s digital citizens, who saw the order as a monumental overreach and a backdoor for mass surveillance....

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