Pickleball courts multiplied, micro-dramas went big, snacking bulked on protein, and diamonds manufactured in labs, India ...

India’s telecoms ministry has rolled back its order for smartphone manufacturers to preinstall a government-run cybersecurity app on new devices.

India’s telecoms ministry has ordered smartphone manufacturers to install a government-run cybersecurity app on all new devices.

The government said the rules were needed to prevent theft and other crime. Its opponents and privacy activists regard the app as a tool of mass surveillance. By Alex Travelli and Pragati K.B.

India is requiring smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung to preload devices sold in the country with a state-owned cyber security app that can't be deleted, reports Reuters. The Department of ...

The reversal comes just 48 hours after reports surfaced that Apple refused to comply with the order to preload the government's Sanchar Saathi app.

India's mandate requiring smartphone makers to preload a state-owned cyber safety app on all new devices has triggered a political firestorm, fanning fears of government snooping in the world's most ...

Update December 3 2025, 10:43am ET: India has withdrawn its mandate requesting manufacturers to install the Sanchar Saathi app, according to reporting from Reuters. The text below has been left ...

After the Sanchar Saathi app controversy flared up, Apple is reportedly planning to resist the government mandate to preload all iPhones sold in India with the state-owned cyber safety app. According ...

In response to the criticism, India's telecom minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Tuesday said the app was "completely optional," adding that users can choose to activate it and can "easily delete it ...

The Indian government issued a mandate that intends to force smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung to preinstall a ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. The Indian government has backpedalled on the mandatory installation of a state-run cyber security app in one ...