Rama Krishna Sangem
Finally, the Centre has dropped the idea of mandatory insertion of Sanchar Saathi app into all smart phones. Now it is left the choice of the individual phone users to either take it or leave.This change of mind on the part of the Government has come after the Opposition parties have alleged that there is threat to privacy of phone users due to the app. .
Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on December 2, Tuesday clarified that activating the Sanchar Saathi app was optional and anyone could delete it after the Centre’s directive raised privacy concerns and fears of state surveillance. The Union Telecom Minister underscored that the state-developed cybersecurity app involves no spying or call monitoring.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament,Scindia underlined that the app could be deleted anytime and works only after user activation. The backtrack by Scindia comes even as the Department of Telecommunications’ order to manufacturers specifically stated that the app’s functionalities should not be disabled or restricted.
“If you want, you can activate it; if you don’t, then don’t activate it… If you don’t want Sanchar Sathi, you can delete it. It’s not mandatory. It is optional,” Scindia said amid a massive uproar over the Centre’s directions to phone manufacturers to pre-install the app. Scindia emphasised that the motive behind the direction was only to ensure wider access to a tool designed to curb cyber fraud.
Sanchar Sathi launched in Jan 2025
The minister’s clarification comes a day after the DoT ordered all smartphone manufacturers to – 1) pre-install Sanchar Saathi on new mobile devices, 2) ensure that the app is readily visible and accessible to the users and that its functionalities are not disabled or restricted, 3) devices already be Companies have been given 90 days to implement the mandate.
The Sanchar Saathi app, launched in January 2025, offers various facilities, like blocking a stolen phone, checking mobile connections in your name, and reporting suspected fraud.ing used will receive the app through a software update. This app insertion assumes significance in view of recent Supreme Court concerns over increasing trend of digital arrests in the country of innocent people by cyber criminals. Sanchar Saathi app is expected to work as a tool against such cyber crimes by tracking the criminals within no time.
But, a majority of opposition leaders and other experts were of the view that this app would infringe on the rights of privacy of phone users – as they would come under surveillance.