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India to Preinstall 'Sanchar Saathi' on All Handsets, Sparking Privacy Outcry

The Indian government will require the app Sanchar Saathi to be preinstalled on all handsets sold or imported for use in India to combat theft, smuggling and call-center fraud. The app's privacy policy grants wide access to calls, messages, photos, files and the camera, prompting worries it amounts to mandatory surveillance. Officials call it optional and removable, but manufacturers are ordered to keep its functionalities enabled; telecom operators must report compliance within 120 days.

09:34 AM, 12/03/2025Politics
India to Preinstall 'Sanchar Saathi' on All Handsets, Sparking Privacy Outcry

On Dec. 2, the government of India announced that a government-developed application called Sanchar Saathi will be preinstalled on all mobile handsets manufactured or imported for use in the country. Authorities say the app is intended to curb phone theft, prevent the smuggling of handsets and reduce call-center fraud, but the mandate has drawn strong criticism from privacy advocates and political opponents.

According to the app's published privacy policy, Sanchar Saathi can make and manage phone calls, send messages, access call and message logs, view photos and files, and use the device camera. That level of access has prompted concern about user privacy and device autonomy.

"Sanchar Saathi is a snooping app," said Congress Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, warning that "there's a very fine line between reporting fraud and seeing what every citizen of India is doing on their phone."

Digital-rights group Internet Freedom Foundation criticized the mandate, saying it effectively converts every smartphone sold in India into a vessel for state-mandated software that users cannot meaningfully refuse, control, or remove.

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia defended the rollout as a protective measure, stating the app "exists to protect [users] from fraud and theft" and calling registration "completely optional." He added that users "can remove it at any time." Critics note, however, that the official order requires phone manufacturers to ensure the app's "functionalities are not disabled," which limits user control over those capabilities.

The government has pointed to a sharp rise in digital crime as justification: officials reported 2.3 million "cybersecurity incidents" last year, more than double the number two years earlier, and a government portal logged $2.6 billion in fraud losses in 2024. Regulators also highlighted the large second-hand handset market and instances where stolen or blacklisted devices are re‑sold.

All telecom companies have been asked to submit compliance reports within 120 days. The announcement has set off a broader debate over the balance between consumer protection and digital privacy, with calls for clearer limits on data access, stronger transparency about how the app operates, and legal oversight of its use.

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