India Mandates Sanchar Saathi App on New Smartphones

The Department of Telecommunications has ordered smartphone manufacturers in India to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices sold in the country. Companies have been given 90 to 120 days to comply. The app allows users to check device authenticity, report spam or fraud, and locate lost phones, and has already helped block over 4.2 million misused devices and return 700,000 stolen phones.

While some critics, including opposition leaders, have raised privacy concerns over the app’s access to calls, camera, and storage, Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia assured that the app is completely optional and can be uninstalled without any data tracking. Apple has indicated it may resist the mandate, citing security concerns, highlighting the ongoing tension between user privacy and fraud prevention.