{"id":1303219,"date":"2025-12-04T07:08:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T01:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/?p=1303219"},"modified":"2025-12-04T07:08:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T01:38:35","slug":"1-4-crore-indians-download-sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-now-deleted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/1-4-crore-indians-download-sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-now-deleted\/","title":{"rendered":"1.4 Crore Indians Download Sanchar Saathi App; Can Be Now Deleted"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In a major reversal following public backlash, the Centre has withdrawn its directive that required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices. The move sparked intense concerns over privacy, surveillance, and constitutional validity, pushing the government to rethink the mandate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"665\" src=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-7.06.35-AM-1024x665.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1303227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-7.06.35-AM-1024x665.png 1024w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-7.06.35-AM-300x195.png 300w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-7.06.35-AM-768x498.png 768w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-7.06.35-AM-1536x997.png 1536w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-7.06.35-AM-2048x1329.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>Backlash Over Mandatory Installation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sanchar Saathi app, introduced as a cybersecurity tool to help users track <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/sanchar-saathi-app-government-removes-mandatory-pre-installation-2830022-2025-12-03\">stolen phones<\/a> and report fraudulent mobile connections, faced widespread criticism soon after the government ordered compulsory installation. Opposition leaders, civil society groups, and digital rights advocates argued that forcing an undeletable government app onto citizens\u2019 phones violated privacy and could open doors to surveillance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Scindia: App Is Optional, Not a Surveillance Tool<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Addressing the Lok Sabha, Union Communications Minister <strong>Jyotiraditya Scindia<\/strong> clarified that the government never intended the app to be mandatory and affirmed that it can be <strong>deleted freely by users<\/strong>. He strongly denied concerns of snooping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cSnooping is neither possible through Sanchar Saathi, nor will it ever be,\u201d Scindia said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>He emphasised that the app works <strong>only with voluntary user registration<\/strong>, does not activate on its own, and does not collect data without explicit consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Centre Open to Amending Rules<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Scindia assured Parliament that the government is open to revising guidelines based on public feedback.<br>He framed Sanchar Saathi not as a surveillance tool, but as a <strong>citizen-participation-based safety platform<\/strong> aimed at combating fake mobile connections, fraud IMEI numbers, stolen phones, and cyber fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department of Telecommunications, he added, is willing to improve the platform further to address public concerns and enhance user trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1.4 Crore Downloads Show High Public Interest<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the <strong>Press Information Bureau (PIB)<\/strong>, Sanchar Saathi has already been downloaded by <strong>1.4 crore Indians<\/strong>, reflecting growing awareness about telecom fraud. In the last 24 hours alone, over <strong>6 lakh new users<\/strong> registered\u2014marking a tenfold surge in uptake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government says this rise signals \u201ccitizen confidence in a platform designed for their safety,\u201d while reiterating that users remain entirely free to uninstall it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Step Back, But Dialogue Continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the mandatory installation clause withdrawn, the controversy is likely to ease, but the broader debate on data privacy, digital rights, and state intervention in personal devices is far from over. The Centre maintains that Sanchar Saathi is <strong>\u201cof the people, for the people\u201d<\/strong>, but its future evolution will depend on transparency, safeguards, and ongoing public trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/technology\/what-is-the-sanchar-saathi-app-why-is-the-government-mandating-its-pre-installation\/article70350322.ece\">Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a major reversal following public backlash, the Centre has withdrawn its directive that required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices. The move sparked intense concerns over privacy, surveillance, and constitutional validity, pushing the government to rethink the mandate. Backlash Over Mandatory Installation The Sanchar Saathi app, introduced as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":1303227,"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":[9037],"class_list":["post-1303219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-sanchar-saathi-app"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>1.4 Crore Indians Download Sanchar Saathi App; Can Be Now Deleted - 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\/1-4-crore-indians-download-sanchar-saathi-app-can-be-now-deleted\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1.4 Crore Indians Download Sanchar Saathi App; Can Be Now Deleted - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile &amp; Startups\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a major reversal following public backlash, the Centre has withdrawn its directive that required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices. The move sparked intense concerns over privacy, surveillance, and constitutional validity, pushing the government to rethink the mandate. 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