The Indian government has withdrawn an order requiring all smartphones sold in the country to be pre-installed with Sanchar Saathi, a state-run cybersecurity application, following strong opposition from privacy advocates, political parties, and major technology companies. The Department of Telecommunications confirmed on 3 December that it had revoked the directive, which would have compelled manufacturers to install the app on all devices within 90 days. The government stated it had “decided not to make the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers,” describing the app as a voluntary tool designed to help users block stolen phones and report fraudulent calls. The order, issued confidentially to smartphone manufacturers including Apple, Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi, triggered immediate concerns that it could enable mass surveillance across India’s estimated 730 million smartphones. Industry sources said Apple had made clear it would not comply, citing privacy and security risks to its iOS ecosystem and company policies that prohibit such mandates globally. Political opposition escalated rapidly, with Members of Parliament accusing the government led by Narendra Modi of undermining the constitutional right to privacy. Civil society organisations echoed these concerns, warning of the absence of transparency, legal safeguards, and independent oversight. Welcoming the withdrawal, the Internet Freedom Foundation cautioned that the move should be treated as “cautious optimism” until a formal legal revocation is published. The episode has renewed scrutiny of India’s digital governance approach and the balance between cybersecurity, corporate responsibility, and fundamental rights.

On 17 December 2025, the Business & Human Rights Centre asked Xiaomi to clarify its position, address the privacy concerns raised, and outline any next steps regarding the Sanchar Saathi app, given that it has not publicly responded to the situation. Xiaomi did not respond.