The Sanchar Saathi App – In the Lens of Cybersecurity and Privacy

Sanchar Saathi App

The Sanchar Saathi app controversy has created a wave of discomfort among Indian citizens. Some people support its motive and see it as necessary for protection against cybercrime. Others argue that if the app is imposed without room for consent, it may lead to unwarranted monitoring and invasion of privacy. Both views can be true at the same time.

Yet the issue is more nuanced. Ethical concerns are valid, and so are concerns about the rising rate and complexity of cybercrime. This analysis looks at the situation, the points of controversy, whether these issues are justified, and the core of the entire debate.

The Sanchar Saathi app is an initiative of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Its purpose is to combat cybercrime and allow mobile owners to block, trace, and retrieve their handsets if stolen. The app especially targets identity theft, which affects countless families each year. According to the official portal, the app provides several utilities:

  • Chakshu: report suspected fraud, unsolicited commercial communication, and malicious web links

  • Block a lost or stolen mobile handset

  • Check mobile connections registered in one’s name

  • Verify the genuineness of a mobile handset

  • Report international calls disguised as Indian numbers

  • Know the wireline internet service provider

  • Trusted contact details

The initiative first launched as a web portal in 2023 and later expanded into an app in 2025. The rollout was successful, with over 1 crore downloads and around 2,000 fraud cases reported each day. The controversy began when the DoT issued directions on 28 November 2025. These directions required mobile handset manufacturers to:

  • Pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all mobile handsets manufactured or imported for use in India

  • Ensure the app is visible and accessible during initial setup and that its features are not disabled or limited

Manufacturers had 90 days to implement the order and 120 days to submit compliance reports. This created hesitation among major companies in the mobile manufacturing sector. When the news reached the public, it triggered widespread uproar. Legal experts highlighted the directive as a possible violation of the fundamental right to privacy.

“Sanchar Saathi is a lost phone tracker, but if it gets embedded with no possibility of removal, it becomes a government tracker on your device.”
“The way things work with India’s Department of Telecom, there was no public consultation, the order wasn’t disclosed. Just forced. This is dictatorial in nature. If they get away with this, more will follow,” said Nikhil Pahwa, digital rights activist and founder of MediaNama, on X.

The DoT stated that the directive aimed only to improve cybersecurity and help users in case of a lost or stolen device. Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on 2 December 2025 that the app was “optional” and could be deleted. However, this claim directly contradicted clause 7(b), which required manufacturers to ensure the app’s features could not be disabled or limited.

During the debate, Apple appeared reluctant to implement the directive exactly as issued and sought a middle ground with the government.

Many experts also argued that the directive failed the three-fold test laid out in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) judgement. The test criteria include legality, necessity, and proportionality between the goal and the means used to achieve it. Critics claimed the Sanchar Saathi mandate did not meet these conditions. “There is no statutory basis for such a requirement. Merely through an executive order, the State wants to enter our phones and lives, failing the necessity and proportionality argument,” said Mishi Choudhary, technology lawyer and online civil liberties activist. Experts further argued that no lawful process was followed, given the speed of issuing and implementing the directive.

On 5 December 2025, the government withdrew the mandatory installation requirement for mobile handset manufacturers. The reversal came almost immediately before compulsory implementation. This move relieved many people who opposed the directive on ethical grounds. At the same time, it reopened the broader debate on privacy, its fragility in an evolving cyber landscape, and how government actions affect it.

The state’s intentions may be noble, but the method of implementation is crucial. A more effective alternative could have been strong promotion of the app instead of a mandate. When used as intended, the Sanchar Saathi app is useful and helps address growing cybercrime. The app and portal have already been widely promoted in recent years, contributing to its large user base. Government statements consistently claim that the goal was not to intrude on privacy but to strengthen cybersecurity. This calls for a softer strategy rather than a strict requirement. Awareness, transparency, incentives, and easy access could have encouraged voluntary adoption without infringing on privacy.

Both ethical concerns and the need to combat cybercrime are valid. What is required is a middle ground. The suggestions above deserve careful consideration. The vigilance of citizens about fundamental rights is commendable. Such awareness keeps the spirit of the Constitution alive. The intent of the government to strengthen law and order is also worth acknowledging. The issue lies only in the method, which now seems corrected and moving toward a more balanced approach.

References

Deep, A. (2025, December 2). Sanchar Saathi app must be pre-installed on phones: DoT. The Hindu.
Drishti IAS. (2025, December 3). Sanchar Saathi App.
India Business Law Journal. (2025, December 5). India makes U-turn on Sanchar Saathi app mandate in mobiles.
Mishra, P. (2025, December 4). What is Sanchar Saathi? Check Its Key Benefits and Features. Jagran Josh.
Khan, A. (2025, December 2). Big Brother move? Centre orders smartphone makers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app. The New Indian Express.
Press Trust of India. (2025, December 2). Apple to discuss Sanchar Saathi app order with govt, may not follow in its current form. The Economic Times.
Times of India Tech Desk. (2025, December 3). Indian government’s Sanchar Saathi app order: Why all eyes are on Apple. The Times of India.

Jyotsna Haridh
3rd year B.A.LL.B (Hons.)
Student
Bharti Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) New Law College, Pune