Scindia dismisses snooping concerns, says Sanchar Saathi app is non-surveillance

New Delhi: Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday rejected allegations that the Sanchar Saathi mobile app could be used to snoop on citizens, insisting in the Lok Sabha that it neither has surveillance features nor operates without user consent. He said the app remains inactive unless a user chooses to register, stressing that “snooping is neither possible nor will it happen” through the platform.

Scindia told Parliament that the government-backed application has been created solely to protect telecom users from fraud, fake mobile connections and handset theft, not to monitor personal communications. He underlined that merely having the app pre-installed on a device does not mean it is in use, adding that people are free not to activate it and that its functions are triggered only after registration.

His clarification came amid a political row over a recent directive asking smartphone makers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi on all new devices, a move that has drawn criticism from opposition parties over privacy and data-protection concerns. Congress MP Randeep Surjewala has already sought a discussion in the Rajya Sabha, with several leaders warning of potential government intrusion into citizens’ digital lives.

Responding to these fears, Scindia reiterated that activation of Sanchar Saathi is voluntary and framed the app as a tool of “public participation” in cybersecurity. He said the system allows users to verify IMEI numbers, report suspicious mobile connections and block or trace lost phones, and claimed it has already helped authorities disconnect large numbers of fraudulent mobile connections and recover stolen handsets.

(Inputs from IANS)