The Centre Rejects Snooping Claims on the Sanchar Saathi App in Parliament, clarifying that the security tool is Voluntary and Deleteable by users. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia assures no digital surveillance is possible, emphasizing the app’s role in cyber fraud prevention and IMEI verification.
Sanchar Saathi Snooping Claims Centre Parliament
The intense political heat surrounding the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) directive on the mandatory pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi application reached a boiling point this week in the Parliament Winter Session, forcing the Centre to issue a categorical rejection of the Opposition’s claims that the app constitutes a ‘snooping tool’. Union Minister for Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, addressed the controversy, providing crucial assurances to the public: the app is Voluntary and Deleteable by the end-user, dismissing all fears related to digital surveillance and privacy infringement.
The Sanchar Saathi Snooping Claims Centre Parliament showdown was triggered by an Opposition outcry, with key figures from the Congress party labeling the app as an unconstitutional mandate that infringes upon the citizens’ fundamental right to privacy. Allegations were raised that the mandatory installation was an attempt to monitor user activity and communications, drawing parallels to previous controversies like the Pegasus spyware. The Opposition argued that a state-mandated pre-installed application, especially one capable of IMEI tracking, creates an avenue for mass surveillance and amounts to a dangerous erosion of digital autonomy.
