It enables IMEI-based blocking and tracking of lost phones, checks registered connections, verifies used devices, and allows reporting scam calls.
The problem started, when it was announced that the app would need to be pre-installed on every smartphone manufactured or imported for use in India. Companies such as Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and OnePlus were given three months to comply. Intense criticism from multiple quarters followed. The bigger problem was surveillance. Tech analysts quickly discovered that the app needed a stream of data that far exceeded its remit: like user’s camera, call logs, network information and even messages. While there’s no evidence that it would actually be used in any harmful way, the scope for misuse clearly existed. And imposing it on every smartphone meant any harm would be exponentially multiplied.
What makes things worse is that many of Sanchaar Saath’s functionalities are already available through different mechanisms. You can block your smartphone’s IMEI by registering a police report and logging onto the Sanchaar Saathi website. If you want to confirm the authenticity of your smartphone’s IMEI, you can send an SMS to a government number. All of this works without forcing a billion users to have a problematic app on their handsets.
So why did Minister Jyotraditya Scindia opt for an embarrassing U-turn? The most charitable explanation is that the government recognises that the digital fraud problem is both urgent and alarming. Over the last decade, India has digitised its economy at a faster rate than almost any other country in the world. The unified payments interface (UPI) system alone now processes more daily transactions than global payment processing giant Visa does globally. Such rapid growth comes with a price. CERT-In reports that 20.4 lakh cybercrime incidents were logged in 2024, up sharply from 15.9 lakh in 2023. Clearly, something needs to be done.
The good news is that India has a very solid track record in awareness creation. The Reserve Bank of India has done a phenomenal job over the last couple of decades in forcing banks to teach their customers how not to share PINs, OTPs and passwords. Efforts, however, need to be updated to suit latest scams. But now, fraudsters are quicker than ever. So local police need to be as well. This will require the whole ecosystem – banks, payment processors and telecom companies to work in rapid harmony. Instead of requiring a billion Indians to give up their privacy to combat fraud, authorities must simply get better at doing their job.
