Sanchar Saathi Tool for Protection, Not Snooping: Scindia in Parliament
Minister affirms voluntary use, citizen-centric design and readiness to revise rules based on public feedback
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 3rd Dec: Union Minister for Communications and DoNER Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday delivered a detailed clarification in the Lok Sabha on the purpose, design and safety of the Sanchar Saathi app, firmly rejecting claims that the platform enables surveillance.
Calling it a citizen-empowerment tool, Scindia stressed that Sanchar Saathi “neither enables snooping, nor will it ever do so.” The app, he said, is completely voluntary and becomes active only when a user registers. “Every citizen has the full right to not use the app or delete it anytime,” he told the House, countering opposition claims and misinformation circulating online.
The minister underlined that the platform is India’s most powerful shield against digital fraud, enabling users to secure their mobile identities, detect fraudulent SIMs, track stolen devices, and report suspicious numbers.
Govt open to revising rules
Scindia affirmed that “in a democracy, the final authority lies with the citizen,” adding that the government is fully prepared to revise rules and processes based on public feedback. “The aim is only one — to secure every mobile user in India,” he said.
Citizen-driven results
Presenting data before the House, Scindia credited the app’s success to public participation:
- Over 1.5 crore downloads of the Sanchar Saathi app
- More than 20 crore visits to the web portal
- 1.50 crore+ fraudulent mobile connections disconnected based on citizen reporting
- 26 lakh lost or stolen phones traced
- 7 lakh+ devices returned to users
- 41 lakh additional suspicious mobile connections shut using citizen inputs
- 6 lakh+ fraud-linked IMEIs blocked
“This platform belongs to the people, works for the people and ensures the safety of the people,” the minister said. “Government provides the technology; the real strength comes from India’s mobile users.”
Voluntary, transparent and user-controlled
Clarifying the core design of the app, Scindia said: “Sanchar Saathi does not activate itself. Like any other app, it works only when a user chooses to register and use it. They may uninstall it anytime. Citizens are in complete control.”
Priority: protecting citizens from digital crime
The minister pointed out that India has over a billion mobile users and rising cases of fraud networks, fake SIMs, spoofed IMEIs, cyber scams and illegal mobile trade create serious threats.
“It is the government’s responsibility to protect citizens,” Scindia said. “Sanchar Saathi fulfils this responsibility by preventing fraud, tracing stolen devices and tackling digital crime.”
He reaffirmed that the platform is transparent, privacy-safe and rooted in the principle of citizen empowerment.
