Users can delete Sanchar app, govt clarifies after row

Jyotiraditya Scindia, the minister of communications, said on Tuesday that the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app, which a previous directive to mobile phone makers said must be preinstalled on phones, can be deleted by users if they so wish.

- Sejal Sharma

Supreme Court

The clarification came after widespread criticism of the move by digital rights activists and politicians, after some reports of the directive said the app could not be removed. To be sure, HT's report cited unnamed department of telecommunications (DoT) officials, and said that the app could be deleted by users.

“This is a completely voluntary and democratic system— users may choose to activate the app and avail its benefits, or if they do not wish to, they can easily delete it from their phone at any time,” clarified Scindia on X, adding that the app is meant to help users protect their privacy and stay safe from online fraud. He also repeated this to reporters outside Parliament.

The Sanchar Saathi portal, launched by the government in May 2023, helps citizens check mobile connections linked to their IDs, report fraudulent numbers, and trace lost or stolen phones, as per its website. The mobile app was launched earlier this year in an effort to crack down on cybercrime.