Sanchar Saathi app 'completely negates right of privacy', says Congress MP

Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday, 3 December, flagged concerns related to the Sanchar Saathi mobile application in the Rajya Sabha, saying it completely negates the right of privacy of every individual.

Raising the issue, he said a clear apprehension is that features of the application would point out real-time geo-location of every user, monitoring of the search history, financial transaction and a possible monitoring of conversations through SMS and WhatsApp.

"The Government of India, Ministry of Communication has purportedly issued an order whereby all mobile phone manufacturers and importers of cellphones are compulsorily obliged to upload Sanchar Saathi app. It has also been directed that this app has to be pushed into every cell phone and smartphone," Surjewala said.

The ministry's order dated November 28, mandates all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app in all handsets to be sold in India as well as in existing devices through a software update.

It also mandates mobile phone companies to ensure that the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application is readily visible and accessible to the end users at the time of first use or device setup.

"Would this not completely negate the right of privacy of every individual? And a possible kill switch, sir, will turn every cellphone into a brick. If the government then wants, then every cellphone of every journalist, every opposition leader, every dissident, it will become a pure simple brick by use of a kill switch," said the Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan.

Surjewala said all passwords, information, bank account numbers, personal information of every user stored on the cell phone becomes susceptible, either with a government agency or a hacker, or both in this case.

"Look at the implications it is fraught with. To give you an example, the government pushes an upgrade, Samsung doesn't do it for three months. For three months, all cellphones of that make will be susceptible to be hacked," he said.

Surjewala demanded that the government clarify the legal authority for mandating a non-renewable application and push a compulsory software update and disclose "what independent security audit and safeguards and misuse prevention mechanisms are in place" for it.

(With agency inputs)