According to the direction dated November 28, all mobile phones that will be manufactured in India or imported after 90 days from the date of issuing of the order will need to have the app
“If you want to delete it, then delete it. But not everyone in the country knows that this app exists to protect them from fraud and theft,” Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said
New Delhi: Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said the Sanchar Saathi app, a fraud reporting app the government wants pre-installed on all devices, can be deleted by users.
Users can decide to keep the Sanchar Saathi app or delete it, Scindia told reporters on Tuesday.
The Department of Telecom has directed manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets to ensure that its fraud reporting app, Sanchar Saathi, is pre-installed on all new devices and installed via a software update on existing handsets.
According to the direction dated November 28, all mobile phones that will be manufactured in India or imported after 90 days from the date of issuing of the order will need to have the app.
All mobile phone companies are required to report compliance to the DoT within 120 days.
“If you want to delete it, then delete it. But not everyone in the country knows that this app exists to protect them from fraud and theft,” Scindia said.
Union minister for communications further noted that, “It is our responsibility to make this app reach everyone. 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.”
Earlier,Broadband India Forum (BIF) on Tuesday flagged “serious concerns” over the government directive mandating a continuous, active SIM for use of messaging apps, and urged the Centre to pause implementation timelines and hold stakeholder consultations on the SIM-binding issue.
BIF said that, while well-intentioned in its stated goal of curbing cyber-fraud originating from abroad, the directions raise significant questions of jurisdiction, consumer impact, and risk, creating obligations that extend far beyond the mandate of the Telecom Act or the purpose of the Telecom Cyber Security Rules.
BIF represents major technology firms like Meta, Google, and others, and its latest stance marks another standoff with the telcos’ body COAI, which believes the government’s latest directive would bolster national security and safeguard citizens.
The Indian government says the app has been downloaded over 10 million times and the system has helped block over 4.2 million stolen or lost phones, in addition to terminating more than 30 million fraudulent mobile connections.
The government says the app “does not automatically capture any specific personal information from you without intimation on the application.”
Its privacy policy says users will be asked to share permission for sharing access to cameras, photos and files for iPhones – for select uses.
For Android, users will be asked to share call logs, send messages for registration, make and manage phone calls “to detect mobile numbers in your phone,” as well as grant access to cameras and photos.
Apple is worried about its privacy and security vulnerabilities, Reuters has reported. According to Counterpoint Research, more than 95% of Indian smartphones run on Google’s Android, with the remainder on Apple’s iOS.
The Indian government says criminals often clone or spoof valid IMEI numbers onto stolen devices, making it impossible to track criminals or block hardware.
India, which has a large market for used phones, also wants to prevent people from buying stolen or blacklisted devices.