Privacy Concerns Force Rollback of Sanchar Saathi Order
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has withdrawn its recent directive that mandated the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity application on all new smartphones sold in the country. This significant decision comes in the wake of widespread concerns regarding user privacy and strong opposition from various political and digital rights groups. The controversy escalated after the order suggested that the app could not be disabled or restricted by users.Union Minister for Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, addressed the issue directly in the Lok Sabha, where he vigorously defended the application’s core purpose. He clarified that the Sanchar Saathi app is a voluntary tool designed to protect citizens from cyber fraud and the misuse of telecom resources, not an instrument for surveillance. He assured the public that “snooping is neither possible, nor will it ever happen” through the platform
The Minister’s statement emphasized that the app would only become operational upon a user’s explicit and voluntary registration with their phone number. Crucially, he confirmed that users have the complete freedom to delete the app from their devices at any time if they do not wish to use it. This clarification was aimed at quelling fears that had been compared by critics to the Pegasus spyware controversy, with the app being labeled a “snooping app” by some opposition leaders.
The government initially issued the directive with the intention of accelerating the app’s adoption, especially among less technically aware citizens, to offer easy access to cyber protection. The Sanchar Saathi portal and app have demonstrated considerable success since their launch, with official data showing over 1.4 crore downloads and the platform actively contributing to the tracing of 26 lakh stolen handsets and the blocking of over 40 lakh fraudulent mobile connections.
However, the DoT has chosen to revoke the mandatory pre-installation requirement, acknowledging the immense public feedback and the app’s rapidly increasing voluntary adoption. The Ministry noted a tenfold increase in downloads in just one day, viewing this surge as an “affirmation of faith” by citizens in the app’s protective capabilities. This move demonstrates the government’s willingness to be flexible and democratic in its approach to digital policy, prioritizing citizen choice and trust over mandatory enforcement. The focus now shifts back to encouraging voluntary adoption of this citizen-centric tool for digital security.
