{"id":1303165,"date":"2025-12-02T13:54:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T08:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/?p=1303165"},"modified":"2025-12-02T13:55:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T08:25:01","slug":"sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-deleted-is-not-compulsory-to-use-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-deleted-is-not-compulsory-to-use-minister\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanchar Saathi App Can Be Deleted, Is Not Compulsory To Use &#8211; Minister"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A day after the Centre directed smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on all new devices, a political storm has erupted over privacy, user autonomy, and surveillance fears. Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/if-you-dont-want-sanchar-saathi-you-can-delete-it-minister-on-govts-mobile-tracking-app-after-row-101764659236639.html\">clarified<\/a> that although the app will come pre-loaded, <strong>users are free to delete it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"642\" src=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-02-at-1.53.15-PM-1024x642.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1303166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-02-at-1.53.15-PM-1024x642.png 1024w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-02-at-1.53.15-PM-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-02-at-1.53.15-PM-768x482.png 768w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-02-at-1.53.15-PM-1536x963.png 1536w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-02-at-1.53.15-PM-2048x1284.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Clarifies: \u201cSanchar Saathi Is Optional\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking to ANI, Scindia said:<br><strong>\u201cIf you don&#8217;t want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The minister added that the government\u2019s intention is merely to introduce users to a security-enhancing tool, not force them to keep it installed. The clarification follows widespread criticism after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) mandated all smartphone manufacturers to ship devices with Sanchar Saathi pre-installed and non-removable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why the Backlash? Privacy, Surveillance and Transparency Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanchar Saathi allows users to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Track and block lost phones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the number of mobile connections issued in their name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flag spam calls, fraud communication and malicious links<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, privacy experts argue that the mandate undermines user autonomy and may allow the government broader access to device data. Activists say the app\u2019s wide-ranging permissions could lead to surveillance risks\u2014a concern amplified by India\u2019s large mobile base of over <strong>1.2 billion users<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Congress leaders termed the move \u201cBig Brother surveillance\u201d. Renuka Chowdhury submitted an adjournment motion in the Rajya Sabha demanding an immediate discussion. Even Shashi Tharoor, often supportive of government tech policies, called compulsory pre-installation \u201ctroubling\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>BJP Defends Mandatory Pre-Installation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi defended the DoT directive, saying the app would <strong>strengthen digital safety<\/strong> and counter rising cyber-attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tripathi said:<br><strong>\u201cThis communication app will enhance people\u2019s sense of security. Our data won\u2019t escape.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government maintains that Sanchar Saathi has already helped recover <strong>over 700,000 stolen phones<\/strong>, proving its value in fighting device fraud and IMEI cloning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Political Tussle Intensifies in Parliament<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Opposition parties accuse the government of bypassing debate, calling for detailed justification of the move. They are also pressing for discussions on voter roll revisions, national security concerns following the Delhi blast, and rising air pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju countered the allegations, stating the Opposition is \u201cmanufacturing issues\u201d to stall proceedings. The winter session continues amid repeated disruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehawk.in\/news\/science\/sanchar-saathi-app-not-mandatory-can-be-deleted-j-scindia-amid-privacy-row\">Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A day after the Centre directed smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on all new devices, a political storm has erupted over privacy, user autonomy, and surveillance fears. Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has now clarified that although the app will come pre-loaded, users are free to delete it. Government Clarifies: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":1303166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[6076],"class_list":["post-1303165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-sanchar-saathi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Sanchar Saathi App Can Be Deleted, Is Not Compulsory To Use - Minister - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile &amp; Startups<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-deleted-is-not-compulsory-to-use-minister\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sanchar Saathi App Can Be Deleted, Is Not Compulsory To Use - Minister - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile &amp; Startups\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A day after the Centre directed smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on all new devices, a political storm has erupted over privacy, user autonomy, and surveillance fears. Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has now clarified that although the app will come pre-loaded, users are free to delete it. Government Clarifies: [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-deleted-is-not-compulsory-to-use-minister\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile &amp; Startups\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-02T08:24:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-02T08:25:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-02-at-1.53.15-PM-1024x642.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"642\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mohul Ghosh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mohul Ghosh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-deleted-is-not-compulsory-to-use-minister\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-deleted-is-not-compulsory-to-use-minister\/\",\"name\":\"Sanchar Saathi App Can Be Deleted, Is Not Compulsory To Use - Minister - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile &amp; 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