Top News

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued the order, giving manufacturers 90 days to ensure the app – which cannot be uninstalled or disabled by users – comes pre-loaded on all smartphones manufactured or imported for use in India.

The Indian government's latest directive requiring all smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on new devices has triggered a firestorm of criticism on social media, with users, opposition politicians, and civil rights advocates raising alarm bells over privacy and surveillance concerns.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued the order, giving manufacturers 90 days to ensure the app – which cannot be uninstalled or disabled by users – comes pre-loaded on all smartphones manufactured or imported for use in India.

User reaction on Sanchar Saathi app mandate

Social media platforms, particularly X, have become the battleground for heated debates about the mandate, with many users expressing outrage over what they perceive as government overreach.

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla was among the most vocal critics, declaring on X, "We will defeat the Govt move to order phone manufacturers to pre-install the undeletable Sanchar Saathi on all new phones sold in India & to push it on existing phones via updates. We will defeat this order constitutionally & democratically! Jai Hind Jai Bharat Jai Constitution!"

He also added, "Outrageous! Wake up INDIA! The Govt's Sanchar Saathi app mandate is a blatant assault on our privacy & freedom! By forcing it pre-installed on every new phone, not allowing us to uninstall the aap, all under the guise of 'safety', the government will potentially have the power to spy on our calls, texts & location. This is surveillance at its worst, & the government will have the power to track us like criminals! We need to fight this."

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi likened the move to reality TV surveillance, calling it "another BIG BOSS surveillance moment." She warned: "Such shady ways to get into individual phones will be protested and opposed & if the IT Ministry thinks that instead of creating robust redressal systems it will create surveillance systems then it should be ready for a pushback!"

Congress calls move "unconstitutional"

The Congress party has demanded an immediate rollback of the directive, with General Secretary K.C. Venugopal issuing a strongly worded statement calling the mandate unconstitutional.

"Big Brother cannot watch us. This DoT Direction is beyond unconstitutional. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution," Venugopal stated. "A pre-loaded government app that cannot be uninstalled is a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian."

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala echoed these concerns, highlighting what the opposition sees as a pattern of surveillance by the current government.

Sanchar Saathi app new Pegasus spyware?

Many social media users drew parallels between the Sanchar Saathi mandate and the Pegasus spyware controversy that rocked India in 2021. Critics questioned whether the app could be used for mass surveillance, despite government assurances that it's designed solely for cybersecurity and fraud prevention.

Technology journalist Arvind Gunasekar also called the move controversial and asked a pertinent open-ended question, "Unrestricted access to our phones?!"

Indian Government's defense: App will be used to fighting fraud

The government has defended the move as necessary to combat rising cybercrimes and mobile theft. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) India highlighted the app's achievements, stating that Sanchar Saathi has helped recover over 700,000 lost and stolen phones, blocked more than 30 million fraudulent connections, and prevented 1.35 crore spoofed international calls.

The official PIB India account on X emphasized the app's utility: "This citizen-centric digital safety initiative 'Sanchar Saathi' integrates advanced tools such as CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) to block stolen or lost phones."

The app allows users to:

- Report and block lost or stolen phones using IMEI numbers

- Verify the authenticity of mobile devices

- Check how many SIM cards are registered under their name

- Report suspicious calls, SMS, and WhatsApp messages

- Flag international calls appearing with Indian country codes

Privacy advocates sound alarm

Digital rights activists have raised concerns about the extensive permissions required by the app, including access to call and SMS logs, phone management, camera, and file access. Critics argue that making the app non-removable eliminates user choice and creates an 'always-on layer of potential surveillance.'

The app's privacy policy states it requires these permissions for automated reporting and device verification, but privacy advocates question the lack of independent oversight or audit mechanisms.

Industry impact and compliance challenges

The directive affects all major smartphone manufacturers operating in India, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo. Companies have 90 days to comply and must submit compliance reports within 120 days.

For devices already manufactured and in sales channels, manufacturers must push the app through software updates. Non-compliance will attract action under the Telecommunications Act 2023 and Telecom Cyber Security Rules 2024.

Apple, which has historically resisted mandatory pre-installation of government apps and emphasises user privacy in its marketing, faces a particular dilemma. The company must choose between maintaining its privacy principles and accessing India's massive 1.2 billion mobile subscriber market.

The Sanchar Saathi mandate comes alongside other recent DoT directives, including requiring messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal to maintain continuous links to active SIM cards and re-authenticate users every six hours on web interfaces.