Screens mirror government policy divide as experts parse Sanchar Saathi order
The Centre’s decision to mandate pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi mobile application on all new smartphones has evoked mixed views from lawyers, technology and policy experts, although the communications minister insisted that users will be free to uninstall the app.
While the government pitches the move as a fraud-fighting, citizen-safety measure, critics warn that broad exemptions under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, could turn a seemingly narrow tool into a vehicle for overreach.
