New Delhi: The Central government’s directive on mandatory installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all mobile phones sparked a major row, with the Opposition on Tuesday calling it “unconstitutional”, “Big Brother” and a “snooping mechanism”.
Amid the backlash, the government in the afternoon issued a clarification, stating it was “not mandatory and the users could delete it if they wished”.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued directions on November 28 that all new devices sold by the manufacturers should come pre-installed with the Sanchar Saathi application, and a software update should be issued to phones that have already been sold with the application made available with it. It asked the manufacturers to ensure that the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application is readily visible and accessible to the end users at the time of first use or device setup and that its functionalities are not disabled or restricted. The directive gave smartphone makers 90 days to complete the implementation and 120 days to submit the report.
The order was to impact manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, among others.
It was part of the Centre’s efforts to promote easy reporting of suspected misuse of telecom resources and to increase effectiveness of the Sanchar Saathi initiative. “The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is undertaking Sanchar Saathi initiative for curbing misuse of telecom resources for cyber frauds and ensuring telecom cyber security,” read an official press release.
Failure to comply with these directions shall attract action under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024 (as amended), and other applicable laws. These directions shall come into force immediately and shall remain in force until amended or withdrawn by the DoT, the communique said.
While Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said he would speak in the debate in the House about it, his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called it a “snooping app”.
“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 said, adding there was a very fine line between reporting fraud and seeing what every citizen of India is doing on their phone. “That’s not how it should work. There should be an effective system to report fraud. We’ve discussed this at great length in terms of cyber security. 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.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram called it “Orwellian”. Congress MP KC Venugopal criticised the government’s directive, calling it “an attack on privacy”. “Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT direction is beyond unconstitutional…A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian. It is a means to watch over every movement, interaction and decision of each citizen,” Venugopal had said in a post on X.
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said, “India has now become a ‘surveillance state’. Is it official Pegasus or akin to REDFLAG App of North Korea on every cellphone?” he asked in a post on X. Surjewala said once a compulsory app is pre-installed, the government can monitor your ‘location’, monitor your ‘search history’ and monitor calls, SMS and WhatsApp.
Earlier Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury filed an adjournment motion notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking suspension of business to discuss the government’s directions on installation of the Sanchar Saathi App.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, meanwhile, said, “Common sense tells me that these apps can be useful provided they are voluntary. Everyone who needs them should be able to download them. Making anything compulsory in a democracy is troubling. I need to look more into the logic of the government.”
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju responded to the Opposition’s criticism of the Sanchar Saathi app, urging parties not to create disruptions in Parliament and assuring that the government is open to debate on all issues.
‘Not must, use or delete like other apps’: Telecom minister Scindia gives clarification amid row
Amid the uproar, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday asserted that activation of ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app on mobile handsets is not mandatory and it is fully up to the consumers to use it or delete it like any other app. Scindia on Tuesday clarified that the Sanchar Saathi application is entirely voluntary for consumers, reiterating that neither installation nor activation is mandatory. Addressing reporters outside Parliament, he stressed that users retain full autonomy; those who do not wish to use the app are free not to register, and they may also delete it at any time.
“If you want to activate it, do so. If you do not want to activate it, don’t. Delete it if you wish. It is entirely your choice,” said the minister.
Scindia emphasised that misinformation should not overshadow the app’s consumer-protection benefits, noting that the platform has contributed to preventing financial frauds amounting to Rs 22,800 crore in 2024. He underscored that Sanchar Saathi is designed as a participatory, citizen-centric tool enabling individuals to secure their own mobile identities. Through the app and the associated online portal, users can verify whether a device’s IMEI number is genuine, report misuse of telecom services, and check active mobile connections registered in their name.
To date, the Sanchar Saathi portal has recorded 20 crore downloads, while the mobile app itself has been downloaded over 1.5 crore times. He reported that 2.25 crore mobile connections linked to suspicious or fraudulent activities have been deactivated. Additionally, the system has helped trace nearly 20 lakh stolen devices, with 7.5 lakh of those phones successfully returned to their rightful owners.
“Our responsibility is to help consumers and maintain their safety. What is Sanchar Saathi? Sanchar Saathi is an app and a portal through which consumer themselves are able to secure them,” the minister added.
Rejecting allegations of surveillance, Scindia stated unequivocally that the app contains no provisions for snooping or call monitoring.
‘Government doesn’t want to spy’: BJP rubbishes Opposition claims in presser
BJP MP Sambit Patra in a press conference clarified that the Sanchar Saathi app is not for government surveillance. The app cannot access personal data, messages, or calls. Its main purpose is to enhance user security, prevent fraud, and track lost or stolen mobile phones.
Patra was quoted by PTI as saying, “People are asking whether the Sanchar Saathi app is meant for government snooping. Does the government want to spy on you? No, no, no. The government does not want to spy on anyone.”
He added, “The Sanchar Saathi app cannot read your messages. It cannot listen to your calls, neither the calls you make nor the calls you receive. Sanchar Saathi cannot listen to your calls. It cannot access your private or personal data. Sanchar Saathi cannot reach or breach your personal data. It cannot read messages, cannot hear calls, and cannot breach personal information.”
He added, “Its purpose is to provide security to users. It helps prevent fraud. It can track stolen or lost mobile phones and ensure that they are recovered and returned to their owners. Fraud prevention, user safety, and tracking lost or stolen mobile phones, that is what Sanchar Saathi is designed to do.”
Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Opposition for what he described as a deliberate attempt to disrupt proceedings in Parliament by constantly flagging “new issues” despite the government’s readiness to hold discussions on multiple fronts. Responding to claims that the app amounted to state surveillance, he dismissed the characterisation and urged the Opposition not to sensationalise the matter.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shashank Mani Tripathi said the app will enhance the sense of security.
Apple didn’t want to follow the order, Samsung, Google looking into it
Apple is unlikely to follow the Indian government’s orders to pre-load its devices with the cyber safety app Sanchar Saathi, as reported by Reuters quoting multiple sources from the US tech giant. The report even points out that Apple will be sharing its concerns regarding this app installation with the government.
The iPhone maker does not intend to take this case to court, but it is going to tell the government about its inability to follow the new order. Apple “can’t do this. Period,” the source was quoted saying.
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Other brands like Samsung are looking into the order, while Google will probably also be taking a closer look at the fine print to decide on its next course of action. It is hardly surprising to see Apple share its privacy concerns, something it has done previously when the European Union (EU) regulators forced the company to adopt USB C for its devices and also allow sideloading of apps on iPhones.
