New Delhi, 3 December (H.S.): Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia assured Parliament on Wednesday that the Sanchar Saathi app serves as a vital real-time cyber defense system against rising cybercrimes, mobile thefts, fake connections, and digital frauds, dismissing opposition claims of it being a surveillance or spying mechanism.
Scindia clarified the app neither mandates installation on any phone nor activates automatically without user consent, user ID, and explicit permission; it cannot access calls, record audio, track locations, or read messages, and users remain free to uninstall it at will.
Launched as a mobile app in January 2025 following the 2023 portal, it integrates with the Central Equipment Identity Registry (CEIR) to instantly block stolen devices—addressing 11 phones lost or stolen per minute in India—and has blocked over 42 lakh phones while tracing 26 lakh since inception, a fourfold rise from 2023-24.
Key features like Not My Number enable users to verify and report unauthorized connections on their name—leading to 1.43 crore fake connections disconnected—Chakshu reports suspicious calls, SMS, or WhatsApp in 30 seconds for swift action via TAFMAP and cyber systems, and Keep Yourself Aware delivers ongoing security updates; the app boasts 1 crore+ Google Play and 9.5 lakh Apple Store downloads with 1.14 crore registrations.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
