ISLAMABAD: India Ministry of Communications has ordered all phone manufacturers to preload the state-run “Sanchar Saathi” application on new devices, local media reported Monday, with companies given 90 days to comply and no option for users to delete the app.
In a press release issued last week, India’s Information Bureau urged citizens to adopt the platform, stating: “The government has also implemented the Sanchar Saathi initiative, providing digital tools for citizens to verify and secure their mobile connections.”
Although Indian media assert the application will help curb crime and support law enforcement, digital rights and cybersecurity experts warn the measure poses serious risks to user privacy.
Digital Rights Expert Haroon Baloch told Pakistan TV that the app’s surveillance reach is “unconstitutional and breaches rights to safety and security.”
He said, “a very big question of privacy arises,” calling the mechanism “spying on the users, thereby limiting the users’ privacy.”
Baloch explained that while tracking traffic data, such as IMEI numbers, SIMs, and tower signals, can reveal location, the app demands significantly broader access.
“This means the state can access information stored inside your mobile phone, including access to the gallery, phone book, and messages,” he said.
Pakistan TV Digital reviewed the extensive permissions sought by the application.
Cybersecurity Analyst Anees Qureshi stressed that the undeletable nature of the app heightens the threat.
“You cannot uninstall this app, allowing it to tap your phone 24/7, and it can also download other apps without the permission of the user,” he said. “The concerning part is that they are making this app part of the Operating System, thus making these permissions mandatory.”
Experts also questioned whether the tool would meaningfully bolster national security. “Terror groups and other non-state actors use more sophisticated communications and phones,” Baloch noted, adding that such measures may only assist in addressing low-level crimes rather than serious threats.
