Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has issued a clarification on the Sanchar Saathi app. The minister said that the cybersecurity app is not mandatory for users. “The app is completely optional. If you want to delete it, you can. If you don’t wish to register, you shouldn’t register and can remove it anytime,” Scindia told reporters outside the Parliament. The telecom minister added that app does not enable snooping or call monitoring.Scindia’s clarifivation comes after a Reuters report claimed that the government, in an order dated November 28, has given major smartphone companies 90 days to ensure that the government’s Sanchar Saathi app is pre-installed on new mobile phones, with a provision that users cannot disable it. The report added that the order further says that for devices already in the supply chain, manufacturers should push the app to phones via software updates. According to the Union government, the Sanchar Saathi app helps prevent cyber threats and assists tracking and blocking of lost or stolen phones, helping police to trace devices, while keeping counterfeits out of the black market.(developing story)
