Understanding Sanchar Saathi: Cybersecurity Tool or Privacy Concern? Expert Analysis and Implications

Spying Tool Or Cybersecurity Shield? What Experts Say About Sanchar Saathi

The Sanchar Saathi application is currently embroiled in a major privacy controversy.

A recent directive from the Central government to mobile phone manufacturers has sparked significant privacy concerns. This directive requires pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on every mobile device manufactured or imported into India. Opposition parties have raised accusations of state surveillance, emphasizing that privacy constitutes a fundamental right in India. The Department of Telecommunications, under Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, has presented the Sanchar Saathi initiative as a measure to combat fraud, block unwanted spam calls, recover misplaced phones, and enhance cybersecurity.

Amid these claims and accusations, millions of mobile users are questioning how this application might affect their daily lives. NDTV consulted with experts to provide clarity on these concerns.

Sanchar Saathi is a digital safety initiative developed by the Central government, offering various citizen-focused services through both a mobile application and web portal. These services include Chakshu, which enables users to report suspected cyber fraud incidents. According to the official Sanchar Saathi website, "Such proactive reporting of suspected fraud communication helps the Department of Telecommunications in preventing misuse of telecom resources for cyber-crime, financial frauds etc." Chakshu also allows users to report commercial spam calls.

The platform enables individuals to report malicious web links and fraudulent communications, including phishing attempts, device cloning attempts, and other malware distributed through SMS, RCS, iMessage, and social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

The Sanchar Saathi website reports that the application has achieved over 10 million downloads on Android devices and more than 1 million on iOS devices.

A key concern involves the permissions requested by the application after installation. According to information provided on Google Play Store, the app requests permission to use the phone camera for capturing photos and videos, and can access call logs. Additionally, it can send and read text messages, including MMS. The app can also access shared storage and modify or delete its contents.

If the government mandate is implemented, new phones will come with this app pre-installed. For existing devices, software updates may be utilized to deploy the application. The Google Play Store information states that the app does not collect user data or share information with third parties.

The government's justification for making this app mandatory centers on combating cyber fraud. According to parliamentary data from the Union Home Ministry, cybercriminals stole Rs 22,845 crore in 2024, representing a 206% increase from 2023. Most of these crimes involve counterfeit phones with cloned IMEI numbers.

Sanchar Saathi identifies fake IMEIs and prevents their activation on Indian networks. The integrated Chakshu feature also allows citizens to block and report spam calls and malicious web links delivered through various communication channels.

A highlighted feature of the Sanchar Saathi app is its ability to track lost and stolen phones. The app facilitates blocking such devices across networks, preventing their use in India. When someone attempts to use a blocked phone, law enforcement tracking the device can obtain valuable leads. It also allows citizens to verify the number of connections registered under their name.

According to official data, the app has been used to block over 4.2 million lost or stolen phones and trace over 2.6 million of these devices. More than 700,000 phones have been recovered through the app, representing a recovery rate exceeding 27%.

Communications Minister Scindia has previously praised the Sanchar Saathi app, stating it has provided "yeoman service" in recovering numerous lost phones. Addressing media in Parliament during the controversy, Scindia clarified that the app can be deleted, saying: "If you don't want to use Sanchar Saathi, you delete it. It is not mandatory. Don't register if you don't want to use it. But not every person knows there is an app to protect him/her from fraud." He accused the Opposition of raising unfounded concerns.

While many users on Google Play Store praise Sanchar Saathi, others have reported usability issues and criticized the absence of a logout function.

The government's directive has elicited strong opposition responses. Congress leader KC Venugopal described the move as "beyond unconstitutional," stating: "Big Brother cannot watch us. The Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the fundamental right to life and liberty, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution." He further described it as "a dystopian tool to monitor every Indian" and demanded an immediate rollback.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), characterized the move as "another BIG BOSS surveillance moment," warning that "shady ways to get into individual phones will be protested and opposed."

Cybersecurity expert Rakshit Tandon acknowledged Sanchar Saathi's effectiveness in tracking and blocking lost/stolen phones. "If someone receives a digital arrest call or any fake call, there is a facility called Chakshu on which you can immediately report it," he noted.

Regarding the pre-installation directive, Tandon described it as "an important step to curb rising cyber frauds," potentially reducing barriers for users who would otherwise need to download the app manually.

Addressing privacy concerns, Tandon noted the app currently declares on Google Play Store that no data is collected, dismissing immediate surveillance fears.

However, Tandon emphasized the need for heightened caution once the app becomes pre-installed. "Proper testing of the app and its servers is necessary so that no bad actor can exploit or misuse it."

Cyber law expert Khushbu Jain acknowledged that "individual choice" is reduced with pre-installation but framed the initiative within collective security goals. She referenced the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, which allows State data processing without consent for defined public interest purposes, subject to principles including necessity and accountability.

Jain suggested viewing Sanchar Saathi "less as a surveillance tool and more as digital infrastructure like a compulsory seatbelt" that remains legitimate when used solely for defined public interest objectives. She cautioned that it remains "subject to legal and institutional oversight, so it cannot quietly turn into mass, unchecked monitoring."

Nikhil Pahwa, founder of MediaNama, strongly criticized the government mandate, describing it as an "unprecedented privacy invasion that transforms a lost-phone tracker into a potential government surveillance tool."

Speaking with NDTV, Pahwa warned that once the State gains irreversible access to the operating system layer, it creates precedent for additional forced applications without public consultation, particularly concerning given the government's self-exemption from key provisions in the new Data Protection Law. He compared this approach to authoritarian practices in Russia.