The Sanchar Saathi portal lets users check mobile connections linked to their SIM, report fraud, and track lost phones.
The central government’s cybersecurity app ‘Sanchar Saathi’ cannot snoop on anyone, and it never will, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Addressing the House during the question-answer session, Scindia said the government is willing to revise the November 28 order to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) if people flag genuine issues.
“Snooping is neither possible, nor will it ever be. The government of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji is committed to giving the public full control and authority over their security,” he said in Parliament and later in a post on X.
Congress MP Deepinder Singh Hooda had asked whether preloading the app could leave parts of it running even after being disabled and whether that posed any privacy risks.
The Sanchar Saathi portal, launched in May 2023, lets users check mobile connections linked to their SIM, report fraud, and track lost phones. Its mobile app, launched earlier this year, saw six lakh downloads on Tuesday, according to a senior DoT official.
The current controversy around the app stems from clause 7(b) of the November 28 directive, which says the app’s “functionalities are not disabled or restricted.” DoT officials clarified that this applies only to manufacturers, ensuring they don’t preload a hidden or non-functional app, and does not prevent users from uninstalling it.
DoT officials clarified to HT on Tuesday that the app accesses only limited data with explicit user consent like basic permissions for registration and optional advanced permissions for features like handset verification or reporting fraud. It does not access contacts, location, microphone, Bluetooth, other apps or any private data, and DoT says it neither enables surveillance nor harvests data.
“The success of Sanchar Saathi and its widespread use is the result of the trust and participation of the public. We are always ready to make necessary improvements in the rules based on the suggestions and feedback received from citizens,” Scindia added in his post on X.
The minister said in the parliament that the app was created to help protect India’s one billion mobile users from fraud and misuse of telecom services. Launched as an app in 2025, it allows citizens to report stolen phones and detect fraudulent mobile connections, leading to 1.5 crore disconnections, 26 lakh traced devices and 7 lakh returned handsets.
“Just because the app is on the phone doesn’t mean it will be operated automatically. Unless a user registers on the app, it won’t operate. And like how I can remove many apps on my phone, I can similarly remove the Sanchar Saathi app as well. In a democracy, this is the right of the people,” he added.
