Sanchar Sathi App: What Does Point 7b Of Government Circular Say Around Disabling App

The recent controversy over the mandatory installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on Indian mobile handsets have drawn attention to the fine print of the government order.

Users on social media highlighted the Point 7(b) of the recent Department of Telecommunications (DoT) circular that mandates mobile phone manufacturers and importers must ensure the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application's functionalities are not disabled or restricted by the user or the manufacturer.

The point 7(b) of the DoT circular dated Nov. 28 states the following:

"Ensure that the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application is readily visible and accessible to the end users at the time of first use or device setup and that its functionalities are not disabled or restricted."

After criticism, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday clarified that the Sanchar Saathi app is not mandatory for users.

"The app is completely optional. If you want to delete it, you can. If you don't wish to register, you shouldn’t register and can remove it anytime," Scindia said in conversation with reporters outside the Parliament, adding that the platform does not enable snooping or call monitoring.

DoT said its attempts to mandate the installation of the Sanchar Saathi app is aimed at curbing digital fraud and rising cases of digital arrests as well as the sale of counterfeit devices in the nation's massive secondary smartphone market.

Manufacturers have been given 90 days to implement these changes and must submit a compliance report within 120 days.

As per the new order, buying a new mobile device — iPhone or Android — will see the government's security app already integrated.

The government's directive is largely towards new phone purchases. But for phones already in the system but not yet sold, manufacturers are instructed to push the app via over-the-air software updates.

This comes against the backdrop of India being a large second-hand market, where stolen or blacklisted devices are frequently resold, potentially making unsuspecting buyers accessories to crimes.