00:00Fair amount of controversy today and it all started with what many thought was slowly slipping in of what the government calls security
00:08through a particular app which can track your phone but the opposition clearly and others are calling it surveillance.
00:15So which one is it and has the government somewhere down the line backtracked on what seemed to be an order of sorts
00:23and now saying it's up to you, delete it if you want. Here's more.
00:30A sweeping digital directive by the government and then a rethink under pressure.
00:40Every smartphone sold in India must now come pre-installed with a government-developed app, Sanchar Sati.
00:46No choice at the point of sale, no opt-out at installation.
00:52The aim, the government says, is cyber safety.
00:56The impact, nationwide uproar, citing breach of privacy.
01:00The results, a possible climb down by the government.
01:03Why many see this as a rethink in the notice,
01:09issued by the telecom ministry, point 7b,
01:11clearly states that the app's functional functionally
01:14is a good thing.
01:15If you want to do this, you don't want to do this app's application.
01:16You don't want to do this, you don't want to do this, you don't want to do this, you don't want to do this.
01:20Why many see this as a rethink in the notice issued by the telecom ministry, point 7b,
01:36clearly states that the app's functionality is neither disabled nor restricted.
01:42We've discussed this at great lengths on cyber security and this and that and definitely there's a need for cyber security,
01:51but that doesn't mean that it gives you an excuse to go into every citizen's telephone.
01:54I don't think anybody, any citizen would be happy.
01:58India is a democratic country.
01:59India has in its constitution,
02:01in its constitution,
02:02in its constitution,
02:03in its constitution,
02:03The department of telecommunications had asked all mobile phone manufacturers and importers
02:16to ensure the Sanchar Saathi app is installed on every new handset sold in the country.
02:22Stating security concerns,
02:24the app allows users to block stolen phones,
02:28check fake IMEIs,
02:30report spam calls and track fraudulent connections.
02:32Civil liberty groups and tech experts smell surveillance,
02:38saying a pre-installed government app,
02:40active by default,
02:41raises serious red flags on data access,
02:44tracking and misuse.
02:46Faced with mounting pressure,
02:48the government moved quickly to clarify and climb down.
03:02According to the Centre, cyber frauds, stolen phones and fake SIMs are rising sharply, causing massive financial losses.
03:25Sanchar Saathi, they say, empowers citizens to protect themselves in real time.
03:32The Sanchar Saathi Rao has reopened a larger national debate.
03:37Where does cyber security end and government surveillance begin?
03:41In a digital democracy, safety cannot come at the cost of trust.
03:45Bureau report, India Today.
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