Should you worry about India’s pre-installed Sanchar Saathi app? Experts weigh in

The Centre’s instruction to mobile manufacturers to include the Sanchar Saathi app on every device made or imported in India has led to widespread concerns about privacy. Opposition parties have accused the government of opening the door to state surveillance and have reminded the public that privacy is a fundamental right.

Meanwhile, the Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Communications, led by Jyotiraditya Scindia, has highlighted Sanchar Saathi as a tool designed to stop fraud, block spam calls, recover lost devices and strengthen cybersecurity.

What exactly is Sanchar Saathi?

The Centre has presented Sanchar Saathi as a digital safety platform available through both a mobile application and a web portal. It offers several citizen-focused services, including Chakshu, which helps users report suspected cyber fraud.

According to the Sanchar Saathi website, this form of early reporting assists the Department of Telecommunications in preventing the misuse of telecom resources for cyber crime and financial fraud. Chakshu can also be used to flag commercial spam calls.

The website further notes that Chakshu enables individuals to report malicious links and fraudulent messages. These could involve phishing attempts, device cloning risks and other malware received via SMS, RCS, iMessage or platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

How many people have downloaded the app and what permissions does it use?

The Sanchar Saathi website states that the app has crossed 1 crore downloads on Android devices and over 10 lakh on Apple’s iOS.

Questions about permissions remain central to the current debate. Google Play Store details show that the app requests access to the phone’s camera to take photos and videos, and it can read call logs. It can also send and read text messages, including MMS, and can access shared storage to read, modify or delete its contents.

If the directive becomes a requirement, the app will come pre-installed on all new phones. Older devices may receive the app through software updates. The Play Store information also states that the app does not collect any user data or share data with third parties.

Why does the government want it pre-installed?

The government has argued that the move is intended to reduce cyber fraud. The Union Home Ministry has informed Parliament that cyber criminals stole Rs 22,845 crore in 2024, marking a 206 per cent increase compared to 2023.

A large share of such criminal activity reportedly involves counterfeit phones that use cloned IMEI numbers.

Sanchar Saathi is designed to detect fake IMEIs and block them from being activated on Indian networks. Through Chakshu, users can also report spam calls and harmful links spread via SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram or while browsing the internet.

A widely promoted feature is the app’s ability to track lost or stolen phones. It allows citizens to block the device across networks so that it cannot be used within India. If someone attempts to operate a blocked phone, police officers monitoring the device may receive a lead. The platform also provides the option to check how many mobile connections are registered in one’s name.

How effective has Sanchar Saathi been so far?

The Sanchar Saathi website reports that more than 42 lakh lost or stolen phones have been blocked using the platform. Out of these, over 26 lakh devices have been traced, and more than seven lakh have been recovered. According to the website, the recovery rate stands above 27 percent.

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has publicly praised the app and said it has performed what he described as a “yeoman service” by helping recover lakhs of lost devices. Speaking to reporters in Parliament during the ongoing debate, he clarified that users can remove the app.

He said that if someone does not wish to use Sanchar Saathi, they can delete it and choose not to register. However, he added that not everyone is aware that such a tool exists to protect them from fraud. He accused the Opposition of raising claims without any basis.

Google Play Store reviews show that while many users appreciate the app, others have pointed out usability problems and have criticised the lack of a logout option.

Why is the opposition objecting to the move?

The Opposition has reacted strongly to the Centre’s direction to phonemakers. Congress leader KC Venugopal has described the move as going “beyond unconstitutional”.

He said that “Big Brother cannot watch us” and pointed out that the Right to Privacy is intrinsic to the fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. He argued that a mandatory government app that cannot be removed becomes a dystopian tool that monitors every citizen’s movements, interactions and choices. He rejected the directive and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), has called the move “another BIG BOSS surveillance moment”. She said these methods allow access to personal devices in a “shady” manner and warned that if the IT Ministry believes surveillance tools can replace robust redressal systems, it should expect resistance.

What are experts saying in support of the app?

Cybersecurity expert Rakshit Tandon has said that Sanchar Saathi has been effective in blocking and tracking stolen or lost phones. He explained that if someone receives a digital arrest call or a fake call, Chakshu provides a way to report it immediately.

Commenting on the plan to make the app pre-installed, he described it as an important step to stop increasing cyber fraud. He pointed out that mandatory installation would reduce the effort currently required for users to download and open the app, potentially leading to a reduction in mobile theft and banking fraud.

Regarding privacy, he noted that the current version of the app states on the Play Store that it does not collect data. He dismissed fears of unauthorised monitoring at this stage.

What do experts say about the privacy risks?

Tandon added that caution will be necessary if the app becomes pre-installed. He said the app and its servers must be properly tested so that bad actors cannot exploit them.

Cyber law expert Khushbu Jain said that pre-installation does reduce “individual choice”. She explained that the objective is collective security and fraud prevention, and this would work only if most people are included.

She said the Digital Personal Data Protection Act allows the State to process data without consent for specified public interest or state functions, provided it follows principles such as necessity, proportionality, purpose limitation, security and accountability.

She noted that Sanchar Saathi should be viewed less as a surveillance tool and more as essential digital infrastructure, similar to a compulsory seatbelt or a checkpost that remains legitimate as long as it is used for clear public interest purposes. She added that legal and institutional oversight exists, meaning the platform cannot quietly transform into unrestricted mass monitoring.

Nikhil Pahwa, founder of MediaNama, has taken a critical stance. He described the government’s mandate as an unprecedented intrusion into privacy that converts a lost-phone tracker into a possible surveillance mechanism.

He warned in an interview with NDTV that once the government gains irreversible access at the operating system level, it could pave the way for further forced apps such as digital IDs, VPN blockers or message monitoring tools without consultation or accountability.

He also pointed out that the government has exempted itself from important sections of the new Data Protection Law and compared this situation with practices seen in Russia.