India Mandates ‘Sanchar Saathi’ Cybersecurity App on New Smartphones, Ignites Privacy Debate
The government has given an order that any new smartphone sold in India should have its state-developed cybersecurity application, Sanchar Saathi.The action is taken to prevent any cyber fraud and mobile theft but has resulted in significant privacy issues in digital rights organizations and opposition.The order of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) was on November 28, 2025.It obliges manufacturers and importers such as Apple and Samsung to ensure that the app is visible and usable during the initial installation.Already available phones in the supply chain should be updated with the app in the next 90 days using software. The Government’s Rationale Sanchar Saathi was introduced on May 2023, and is claimed to be a citizen-centric application that assists in combating telecom fraud.
According to the officials, the application is required as the number of stolen devices is high, IMEI numbers are copied, and various financial frauds are typical. The most important services that the app provides include:-
Phone blocking lost or stolen phones: It is possible to block the IMEI of a device on all the Indian telecom networks, rendering it unusable even after changing the SIM card.
It can then be traced by law enforcement.- Detection of fraudulent connections: The application allows users to review all mobile connections that are registered in their name and disconnection of them.
Reporting scams (Chakshu): The Chakshu feature enables users to report suspicious frauds – calls, SMS, WhatsApp messages, malicious links associated with fake jobs, loans, or KYC updates.
Authenticity of devices: Before purchasing a used phone, users can confirm the IMEI number of a phone against official databases to determine whether the device is stolen or counterfeit.
Government statistics indicate that already, Sanchar Saathi has blocked over 4.2 million stolen or lost devices and prevented over 30 million fraudulent links.
Surveillance and Privacy will be a problem.Criticism of the mandate by the opposition parties and digital rights advocates, among others, is that it represents an unprecedented invasion of privacy and a possible instrument of state surveillance.
Their concern is that the imprinting of a state-on-demand, perhaps permanently entrenched, application into the depths of personal devices compromises consent and can be used to track the movements and activities of citizens. The application demands a lot of permissions on Android such as call logs, messages, camera and storage, which increases these anxieties.
Apple has also reportedly been complaining and might not comply with the order, as the move is against its global policies, which do not allow imposing third-party applications on the devices of the users. Government Clarification Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia made it clear that Sanchar Saathi is not an application that users must use and he can be removed.
He stated that the objective is more to have the protective device easily accessible to a population that has little knowledge on it. Users have the option of either registering or not registering the app and the app will remain dormant.Even after the minister assured that the wording of the DoT order was not aimed at the app, the phrase’s wording, which outlines the capabilities of the app as being unable to be deactivated or limited, is controversial. Experts do not think that forced installation is the only way to succeed, but it is rather necessary to increase public awareness and ensure a strong legal and institutional control to eliminate abuse.
