Users are free to delete Sanchar Saathi, if they wish: Communications Minister Scindia

New Delhi, Dec 2: As a government order to manufacturers to preload a state-run cybersecurity app, Sanchar Saathi, on all phones kicked up a privacy row, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday appeared to soften the stance, saying users are free to delete it if they so wish, and that it will remain inactive till they register on it.

The November 28 order from his ministry directed smartphone makers to pre-install the app on all new devices and push it through updates on older ones. Many opposition leaders and critics saw it as a snooping attempt, as they felt the app could listen to calls and monitor messages.

Some phone makers, such as Apple, were reportedly opposed to the mandate. Sources said Apple would discuss the issue with the government and work out a middle path, as the order cannot be implemented in its current form. Scindia stepped in to diffuse the crisis and denied allegations that it was an app for snooping. “If you want to delete it, then delete it,” Scindia told reporters outside Parliament. “But not everyone in the country knows that this app exists to protect them from fraud and theft.”

While the November 28 order stated that the makers have to ensure that the functionalities of the app are not “disabled or restricted”, it wasn’t immediately clear if the app will be embedded in the operating software or is proposed to be a secondary one.

Tech experts said any app, if embedded in the operating system, cannot be deleted by users. Some secondary apps, while not being visible on the home screen, may continue to run in the background.

Some experts point out that the Sanchar Saathi app, like most other apps, seeks access to call logs, phone camera, notifications, phone dialer app, and SMS.

The move mimics a similar mandate issued by Russia in August, requiring a state-backed messaging app MAX to be pre-installed on all smartphones.

Denying the Opposition’s charges, Scindia asserted that there was no snooping or call monitoring through the app.

“It is our responsibility to make this app reach everyone. If you want to delete it, then delete it. If you don’t want to use it, then don’t register it. If you register it, then it will remain active. If you don’t register it, then it will remain inactive,” he said.