Sources emphasised that Sanchar Saathi has only limited access to phone data — and only with explicit user consent during each "interaction of reporting fraud".

The Sanchar Saathi app has seen a remarkable 10-fold increase in downloads, reaching nearly 600,000 in a single day, coinciding with mandatory pre-installation orders despite privacy concerns. Discover the implications and government justification for this surge in usage.

India's mandate requiring smartphone makers to preload a state-owned cyber safety app on all new devices has triggered a political firestorm, fanning fears of government snooping in the world's most populous nation.

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told Lok Sabha that the Sanchar Saathi app cannot enable snooping and exists solely to protect users. Amid criticism of mandatory pre-installation on all smartphones,

As the order created a furore, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that users are free to delete the app if they don’t want to use it.

Cybersecurity experts explain what Sanchar Saathi can and cannot solve as India expands the app to all smartphones, raising questions about fraud prevention and privacy.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia refuted snooping allegations in Lok Sabha regarding the Sanchar Saathi app. He assured that the pre-installed app can be deleted and will not be operational until the user registers on it.

The Centre's order to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on mobile devices triggered pushback from various quarters, bringing to the fore a key question: Can this application meaningfully crack down on digital scams in India?