Sanchar Saathi app optional, not a snooping tool: Telecom minister Scindia amid row

New Delhi: Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday rejected Opposition charges that the Sanchar Saathi mobile app is a surveillance tool, stating that the application is optional and can be removed by users at any time.

“This app does not enable snooping or call monitoring. You can activate or deactivate it as per your wish. If you do not want Sanchar Saathi, you can delete it. It is optional,” Scindia told reporters outside Parliament, amid a political row over a recent directive of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

The controversy began after the DoT ordered all mobile device manufacturers and importers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on smartphones to be sold in India from March 2026. 

The move is part of a wider effort to curb telecom-related cyber frauds by giving users tools to report suspicious communications, verify SIM ownership and block lost or stolen devices through IMEI-based tracking.

The platform, launched as a web portal in 2023 and expanded into a mobile app in January 2025, has recorded over 20 crore visits and about 1.5 crore app downloads so far. 

According to official data, it has helped disconnect around 1.75 crore fraudulent mobile connections and trace about 20 lakh stolen phones, of which 7.5 lakh have been returned to users. 

A stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Scindia in July 2025 led to further action, including the blocking of more than 82 lakh fake mobile connections and 12.5 lakh WhatsApp accounts linked to fraud.

Opposition parties, however, criticised the pre-installation mandate, saying it opens the door to state overreach into personal devices even if users are allowed to delete the app later. 

They argue that the directive undermines meaningful user consent and raises fears of mass surveillance.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described Sanchar Saathi as a “snooping app” that affects citizens’ right to privacy and violates fundamental rights under Article 21. 

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal called the directive “beyond unconstitutional” and accused the Narendra Modi government of placing “control over consent”. 

Leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT) and other INDIA bloc parties also alleged that the move is an attempt to enable state surveillance and have raised questions over the app’s data security.

Scindia dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. “When the Opposition has no issues and they are trying to find some, we cannot help them,” he said, insisting that the app’s primary purpose is customer protection at a time when cyber frauds are estimated to have caused losses of over Rs 10,000 crore in India last year.

“It is a portal which ensures the safety of each user. This is a step towards public participation. People should welcome this,” he said, listing features such as real-time reporting of spam calls and messages, SIM verification to detect fraudulent activations and IMEI-based blocking of lost devices. 

The minister reiterated that users have complete control over the app. “It can be deleted from the mobile phone just like any other app. Keeping it on their devices or not is up to the user,” he said, adding that the platform has helped recover over 6 lakh lost handsets as of September 2025.

#WATCH | Delhi | On the debate around Sanchar Saathi app, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia says, "When the opposition has no issues, and they are trying to find some, we cannot help them. Our duty is to help the consumers and ensure their safety. The Sanchar… https://t.co/Kr3juNrGFqpic.twitter.com/npwm9R1Kf2

— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2025

Government sources maintained that pre-installation is meant only to ensure that every user is aware of the tool and has easy access to it.

They said that no data is collected without explicit user consent and that some basic functions work offline. 

Officials pointed to the official portal, sancharsaathi.gov.in, where users can review the app’s privacy policy and understand how to opt out if they choose.