02 December,2025 07:48 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the Parliament complex during the Winter Session, in New Delhi, on Tuesday. Pic/PTI
Days after the Centre directed smartphone makers to preload a state-run cybersecurity app on all new devices, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said users are free to delete the Sanchar Saathi app and that it will remain inactive unless they choose to register, news agency PTI reported.
"If you want to delete it, then delete it," Scindia told reporters outside Parliament, adding, "But not everyone in the country knows that this app exists to protect them from fraud and theft."
His clarification came amid rising privacy concerns over a November 28 government order asking manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new smartphones and ensure that "its functionalities are not disabled or restricted". For devices already in use or lying unsold, manufacturers have been asked to push the app through software updates, PTI reported.
Critics fear the app could enable reading of users' messages, with the Opposition Congress dubbing Sanchar Saathi a "snooping app".
Dismissing the charges, Scindia reiterated that the app has no surveillance features.
"There is no snooping on the basis of this, nor is there any call monitoring," he said, adding, "If you want to delete it, then delete it. If you don't want to use it, then don't register it. If you register it, then it will remain active. If you don't register it, then it will remain inactive."
Opponents have also pointed to a similar move by Russia in August to mandate pre-installation of the state-backed MAX messaging app on all smartphones.
The government has defended the move, saying Sanchar Saathi is critical to counter "serious endangerment" to telecom cybersecurity from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which are often used for scams and network misuse, PTI reported. IMEI - or International Mobile Equipment Identity - is a unique 14- to 17-digit number that allows authorities to block stolen phones from accessing mobile networks.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the mandate, stating, "Everyone must have the right to privacy to send messages to family and friends without the government looking at everything."
Under DoT's directions, all mobile phone companies must report compliance within 120 days.
Earlier in the day, Congress leaders attacked the order mandating Sanchar Saathi's installation. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury submitted an adjournment motion notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking suspension of business to discuss the directive. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said on Monday that the right to privacy is an intrinsic part of the right to life and liberty.
Scindia, however, maintained that the Opposition was raising unnecessary objections and insisted the app is meant for public safety. "On one side, the power of telecommunications is connecting citizens, and on the other side, there are forces who are misusing it to commit fraud, steal money and mobile phones," he said.
He described Sanchar Saathi as a participatory platform. "This is a step towards public participation. In this, people should not object, people should welcome," he said. "Based on this app, when you buy a mobile phone, you can check whether the IMEI number is fake or genuine."
Scindia said the app has been downloaded more than 1.5 crore times. So far, around 2.75 crore fraudulent mobile connections have been disconnected and approximately 20 lakh stolen phones traced through the platform. Of these, about 7.5 lakh phones have been returned to users, and around 21 lakh devices disconnected following user complaints.
The minister stressed that the primary purpose of the app is consumer protection.
(With PTI inputs)
