Sanchar Saathi app: What govt ordered, what Oppn alleged, and a clarification

Centre’s directive to mobile phone manufacturers and importers to have cybersecurity app Sanchar Saathi pre-installed on every handset sold in India within 90 days has drawn reactions from the opposition parties, which flagged concerns of ‘snooping’, worries that the central government has addressed and dismissed saying the application can be deleted by a user.

All mobile phone manufacturers and importers have been asked to pre-install the cybersecurity app Sanchar Saathi on every handset sold in India within 90 days, according to a directive issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).