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 populous nation.

Cybersecurity experts explain what Sanchar Saathi can and cannot solve as India expands the app to all smartphones, raising questions about fraud prevention and privacy.

As the order created a furore, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that users are free to delete the app if they don’t want to use it.

The government’s cyber security and safety app Sanchar Saathi recorded a 10-fold jump in downloads on Tuesday, rising from a daily average of around 60,000 to nearly 6 lakh, DoT sources said Wednesday.

While the government cites “telecom cyber security” and the need to curb counterfeit devices as the rationale, the forced installation of a state-owned app onto personal devices is being viewed by legal experts as a potential violation of the fundamental right to privacy.

A DoT official told PTI that public response to the app suddenly picked up, with total downloads now reaching 1.5 crore even before the latest order was issued

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia touted the new fraud crackdown and digital protection application's achievement of acquiring more than 20 crore users amid the row. Check what Sanchar Saathi is, and whether the users will be able to opt out of it.