Sanchar Saathi rollout: Surveillance fears or cyber safety?

The Indian government has directed smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices from March 2026.

Transcript

00:00You said snooping app, so it is a snooping app.

00:10The app they're talking about is Sanchar Sati.

00:13The opposition has been wary of the government snooping on them.

00:19No, there was a secret memo to phone companies.

00:22This got leaked and Reuters reported on it.

00:24Then there came an official confirmation.

00:26Through an official PIB press note,

00:28the Department of Telecommunications directed all smartphone makers

00:31to pre-install the Sanchar Sati app on every new device

00:34sold in India from March 2026

00:36and to ensure that its features cannot be disabled or restricted.

00:40This app is not only supposed to be in all new phones,

00:43but government also wants it pushed to all old phones through software update.

00:47While the app is positioned as a tool for consumer protection,

00:50its current public reviews have raised questions.

00:52It consistently receives between 1 and 2 stars,

00:55with users reporting that the app shows phone numbers that they never owned,

00:58that it is difficult to file complaints,

01:00and that several features do not work smoothly.

01:03These reviews are recent, including some from November 2025.

01:07The app also requires a wide range of permissions.

01:09These include access to SMS messages,

01:11call logs, device storage, the camera, and the ability to send messages.

01:15The government has argued that these permissions are necessary to detect cyber fraud,

01:20identify duplicate IMEI numbers, and help block stolen phones.

01:24However, the extent of access requested by the app has contributed to the ongoing debate.

01:29Privacy advocates pointed out that Russia introduced a rule earlier this year,

01:33requiring its state-backed messaging app, Max, to be pre-installed on smartphones with spark criticism.

01:38The comparison is driven less by the app's current functionality,

01:41and more by its mandatory permanent status on personal devices.

01:45Reuters has also reported that Apple does not plan to comply with the mandate.

01:49According to sources, the company will convey to the government that its internal policies

01:53do not allow the pre-installation of government or third-party apps on iPhones before sale.

01:58Apple typically allows only its own system apps to come pre-loaded.

02:02Initially, the directive implied the app's functions should not be disabled or restricted.

02:07But now, Telecom Minister Sindhya said in Parliament that the Sanchar Saathi app

02:11could be deleted by users and was optional.

02:13But there are still a lot of unanswered questions, like can users revoke permissions?

02:17Will they be allowed to disable the app later?

02:20How will the data be collected, if any, be stored or shared?

02:23In the absence of these answers, the directive has raised questions.

02:27What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.