India Rolls Back App Mandate Amid Surveillance Concerns

India's Department of Telecommunications withdrew a controversial November order that would have required all smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the government mobile app Sanchar Saathi and prevent users from disabling it. The app — designed to register IMEIs, report lost/stolen phones, flag fraudulent SIMs, and reduce phone-enabled crime — is credited by the government with millions of fraud blocks and recoveries, but critics fear the centralized mobile databank could enable state surveillance given past spyware revelations; analysts recommend transparency, independent audits, clear in-app explanations, and voluntary adoption rather than a mandate.