The Centre on Wednesday reversed its controversial order mandating smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on every smartphone sold in the country. The move follows a fierce political backlash, sharp privacy warnings from citizens and a sudden surge in voluntary app downloads that the government is now using to justify the U-turn.

What began as a cybersecurity initiative spiralled into a national debate on digital freedom, triggering questions over transparency, intent and the boundaries of state power in the digital age.

In its withdrawal notice, the Department of Telecom (DoT) said it no longer needed to enforce the mandate because the app witnessed an “unprecedented spike” in organic adoption. Officials said more than six lakh people downloaded the app an

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