Sanchar Saathi’ app’s uses and political storm over it

New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued instructions to all the mobile handset makers and importers to pre-install the cybersecurity App ‘Sanchar Sathi’ on mobile phones, effective from November 28.

The DoT has also directed mobile manufacturers as well as importers to finish the implementation within 90 days and submit a report within 120 days.

The issue of ‘Sanchar Saathi’ pre-installation on smartphones has erupted into a major political controversy, with the Opposition calling it a “brazen misuse” of state power for “breaching” citizens’ privacy, with some even dubbing it a snooping app.

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Amid a row over the privacy issues, Union Communication Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that the app was not mandatory.

The government, in its directive, however, stated that this was being brought to curb the mushrooming incidents of cyber fraud and bolster security.

What is Sanchar Saathi App?

Sanchar Saathi is a citizen-centric initiative of the DoT to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and increase awareness about citizen-centric initiatives of the Government.

Sanchar Saathi, available in the form of the Mobile App and web portal, provides a host of services including blocking lost or stolen mobile handsets, confirming the genuineness of mobile handsets, flagging international numbers calling with Indian numbers, and informing users about their verified internet service provider.

It also has ‘Chakshu’ features, which inform users about suspected fraud, malicious weblinks and unsolicited communication.

Why the row over Sanchar Saathi?

The political controversy erupted after the DoT directed all mobile manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi App on all devices, intended for use in India and termed it a move towards “bolstering cybersecurity and curbing the misuse of International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)”.

The notification makes the Sanchar Saathi feature compulsory on all smartphones and mandates that manufacturers ensure that the App remains accessible to users during the device setup, with no disabling or restriction of features. Mobile manufacturers have also been asked to file a compliance report within 120 days.

Opposition cries foul

The Centre’s directive has drawn a sharp response from the Opposition, with many calling it a direct breach of privacy and interference in people’s personal lives with an intent to “intimidate” them.

Congress leader KC Venugopal said, “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. This is part of the long series of relentless assaults on the Constitutional Rights of Indian citizens and will not be allowed to continue,” he added.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi lashed out at the Centre, terming it a snooping app and also claimed that the ruling dispensation was “turning the country into dictatorship”.

Congress leader Karti Chidambaram equated the Sanchar Saathi app with Pegasus spyware and called it “Pegasus ++” and claimed that this was another attempt to pry into the lives of common people and keep surveillance on their private lives.

He also accused the Centre of turning the country into a Russian model.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), said the move is nothing but “another BIG BOSS surveillance moment”.

“Such shady ways to get into individual phones will be protested and opposed, and if the IT Ministry thinks that instead of creating robust redressal systems, it will create surveillance systems, then it should be ready for pushback,” she stated.