Catholic leaders in India have welcomed the federal government’s decision to drop a proposal that would have required smartphone makers to install a government-run cybersecurity application on all new devices. The move follows weeks of public concern over digital privacy and the potential for state overreach.
On 3 December, officials confirmed that companies would no longer be asked to preload the Sanchar Saathi app, which the government described as a tool for tracing stolen phones but which critics feared could enable unauthorised monitoring.
Father Robinson Rodrigues, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), said the Church appreciated the reversal. Mandatory installation, he noted, would have posed “a breach of one’s privacy” and undermined citizens’ trust in digital governance.
Reports had earlier suggested that major manufacturers, including Apple and Samsung, had been instructed to pre-install the app and prevent users from deleting it for 90 days. Opposition MPs raised the alarm in Parliament, saying the measure risked becoming a form of surveillance under the guise of cybersecurity.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia rejected these claims, insisting the app was voluntary and could be removed at any time. “Snooping is not possible through the app,” he said. However, the government’s earlier directives had implied otherwise.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala warned the app could potentially act as a “kill switch” capable of disabling devices, something he argued could be misused against journalists, activists, or political critics.
Resistance grew as major technology firms, including Apple and Google, reportedly indicated they would not comply due to privacy concerns. The government ultimately withdrew the mandate.
Father Rodrigues said the initial order represented “a clear case of invasion into the privacy of a citizen,” adding that a democratic government must uphold fundamental rights rather than jeopardise them.
Supreme Court advocate Sister Mary Scaria, of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, also welcomed the decision. She cautioned that compulsory installation could have opened the door to mass data collection and loss of user control. The withdrawal, she said, was “a right step aimed at protecting the right to privacy of every Indian citizen.”
Adapted from UCA News.
