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‘Voluntary, protects privacy’: What Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Sanchar Saathi app
Centre on Monday directed all manufacturers to ensure the pre-installation of the app on all new mobile handsets manufactured or imported for sale in India.
Union minister for communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday elaborated on the Sanchar Saathi app initiative, a day after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a directive on its installation.
The DoT directed all original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure the pre-installation of the app on all new mobile handsets manufactured or imported for sale in India.
The Sanchar Saathi portal primarily helps in the reporting and blocking of mobile phones which are lost or stolen, as well as tracing these handsets. It can also facilitate the reporting of suspected fraud communication including spam calls or malicious web links. The users can also check the mobile connections registered in their name, and report the ones they have not taken, among other services.
What Jyotiraditya Scindia said about the app
Scindia, while speaking about the aim of the app, said that the “digital security of every citizen” of the country was seen as a “top priority” by the Centre.
In a post on social media platform X, Scindia said that the app would help the users “protect their privacy and stay safe from online fraud.” He said the decision to use the app would be “completely voluntary and democratic”, adding that users can “activate the app and enjoy its benefits if they wish, and if they don't, they can easily delete it from their phone at any time.”
He further called the initiative a “significant step” towards strengthening protection and transparency, while opting a “customer-first approach.”
Scindia explains ‘people’s trust' in Sanchar Saathi through numbers
In the post, Scindia also said that the “people's trust” in Sanchar Saathi was increasing, while citing some numbers related to the app's usage.
The union minister said that more than 20 crore people had used the Sanchar Saathi portal till now, with over 1.5 crore users presently connected to the app.
In terms of action taken, Scindia said that more than 1.43 crore mobile connections had been disconnected after citizens selected the ‘Not My Number’ option on the portal. He further said that 40.96 lakh fake mobile connections reported by citizens were disconnected.
26 lakh mobile phones either lost/stolen were traced, of which 7.23 lakh phones were successfully returned to the citizens, according to the post. 6.2 lakh fraud-linked IMEIs were also blocked.
