Clipped from: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/bad-signal/article70357811.ece
Sanchar Saathi fiasco shows how not to implement policy
Sanchar Saathi: Privacy concerns | Photo Credit: Dado Ruvic
The Centre’s move to mandate the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones, followed by its hasty withdrawal, holds important lessons on how not to implement digital policy in a democracy. The intent — protecting users from rampant cyber fraud and misuse of mobile connections — is timely and necessary. The method — a directive compelling smartphone manufacturers to preload the app and making it impossible for users to disable it — was unfortunate and proved counterproductive.
Amidst rampant digital fraud, there is a genuine need for simple tools that empower users to safeguard their devices and identities. By design, Sanchar Saathi offers meaningful features. It allows users to block and track lost or stolen phones through the device’s IMEI, a unique identification number. It helps citizens check how many mobile numbers have been issued under their name, a crucial protection against fraudulent SIM misuse. Users can verify the authenticity of second-hand devices before purchase and report suspicious calls, all valuable safeguards in a digital landscape where fraud networks frequently exploit identity theft and device cloning.
The idea, therefore, was not the problem; the execution was. On November 28, the Department of Telecommunications privately instructed smartphone makers to preload the app on all new devices. It was to be “visible, functional, and enabled” at first setup. Manufacturers were told they must prevent users from disabling its functions, and older devices would receive the app through software updates. This essentially gave citizens no agency over whether they wanted the app. Instead of empowering users, the diktat raised fears that the government was slipping surveillance software into every device. Those concerns were fuelled further by the permissions sought by the app. An analysis of its Android package using Mobile Security Framework flagged several “dangerous” permissions, including access to the camera, call logs, external storage, and phone identifiers. It is unclear whether these permissions are essential for its stated use, or whether the app complies with the new Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
The Centre’s directive also alarmed smartphone makers, who argued that such a mandate would require big operating-system level changes. At a time when India seeks to be a global manufacturing hub for devices, imposing sudden compliance requirements sends an adverse signal. There are far better ways to promote Sanchar Saathi. A nationwide awareness campaign, led through the vast network of retail outlets where most Indian consumers buy their smartphones, would have introduced the app organically. As the success of DigiYatra and ONDC prove, voluntary adoption is the key: users install what they trust and what they find useful. Sanchar Saathi should have been an opportunity to demonstrate how technology can protect citizens. It has instead come to be viewed with suspicion as a tool of surveillance of citizens by the government. The lesson: transparency builds trust; diktats erode it.
Published on December 4, 2025
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