'Sanchar Saathi is optional, user can delete it': Govt issues clarification

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that Sanchar Saathi is optional, following uproar over the government mandate asking phone makers to pre-install the app to help curb cyber fraud

Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday clarified that the government’s 'Sanchar Saathi' app is not mandatory for users. He added that users are free to remove it from their devices if they wish.

 

“...If you don't want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional... It is our duty to introduce this app to everyone. Keeping it in their devices or not, is upto the user," Scindia told reporters outside Parliament, reported news agency ANI.

 

The minister's clarification came after the Opposition, led by the Congress,  criticised the government’s directive requiring smartphone makers to pre-install the app, saying the order infringes on citizens’ privacy.

 

On Monday, the government confirmed the issuing of the notification, directing all mobile manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on every device made or imported for use in India.

 

The Centre called it a part of its efforts to stop the sale of fake mobile phones and report any suspected misuse of telecom services.

 

What is the Sanchar Saathi app?

 

Sanchar Saathi is a citizen-focused initiative developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The app is designed to empower mobile users, improve their security and increase awareness about government measures for safer digital usage.

 

The Sanchar Saathi portal and mobile app bring together several features meant to curb cyber fraud and increase telecom safety.

 

Through the app, users can:

• Report suspected fraud using the 'Chakshu' feature

• Stop unwanted commercial calls

• Identify harmful web links and block a lost or stolen phone

• Check mobile connections registered in their name

• Verify if a handset is original or fake

• Report international calls posing as Indian numbers

• Find their internet service provider

• Access trusted contact details of banks and financial institutions   

 

Why the government wants it pre-installed

 

Fake or tampered IMEI numbers make it hard for agencies to track phones and pose security risks. In India’s big second-hand phone market, stolen or blacklisted devices are often resold.

 

Sanchar Saathi app can trap buyers in legal or financial trouble. IT helps users check if a phone is genuine or blocked.

 

Under new guidelines, the DoT has instructed all smartphone makers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app and ensure it is clearly visible and fully functional when a user sets up the device for the first time.

 

Manufacturers must also roll out software updates to add the app to phones already in the market. The deadline to complete this process is 90 days, and companies must submit a compliance report within 120 days.   

Congress slams govt over Sanchar Saathi directive

 

The Congress on Tuesday strongly criticised the government’s directive, calling it a “snooping app” and demanded that the decision be rolled back immediately. Party Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of trying to monitor citizens.

 

“The Sanchar Saathi is a snooping app, and clearly it is ridiculous. Citizens have the right to privacy. Everyone must have the right to privacy to send messages to family and friends without the government looking at everything,” she told reporters.

 

Vadra also warned that the line between reporting fraud and watching every citizen’s activity must not be crossed. “There's a need for cyber security, but that doesn't mean it gives you an excuse to go into every citizen's phone. I don't think any citizen would be happy,” she said.

 

Earlier, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury filed an adjournment motion in the Rajya Sabha seeking a discussion on the directive.

 

(With agency inputs)