Amid privacy uproar, Jyotiraditya Scindia tells Parliament: ‘Snooping not possible via Sanchar Saathi app’ | WATCH

Jyotiraditya Scindia

Amid the Opposition's outcry over the Sanchar Saathi app order, Telecommunications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told the Lok Sabha that "snooping is not possible via the app." Addressing lawmakers during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, Scindia reiterated that the app's usage is entirely "voluntary."

His response came after Deepender Singh Hooda, senior Congress leader from Rohtak, raised concerns and said there were doubts in people's minds that the app could infringe on an individual's privacy. Hooda added that, as someone with a computer science background, he understood that when an app is preloaded, even if a user force-stops it, there may be grey areas around its functionality.

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Union Minister @JM_Scindia replies to the questions asked by member during #QuestionHour in #LokSabha regarding Base Transceiver Stations.@ombirlakota @loksabhaspeaker @LokSabhaSectt#ParliamentWinterSession @MIB_India @DoT_India pic.twitter.com/xbaJrmPXek

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To this, the minister responded that the November 28 order was to make the app “accessible” to general public. He also added that the app was an initiative by the Centre to save the people of the country from the ill-effects of the internet such as cybercrimes.

Meanwhile, government sources said the Sanchar Saathi app witnessed a tenfold jump in downloads on Tuesday, rising from a daily average of around 60,000 to nearly 6 lakh.

A PTI report citing Department of Telecommunications (DoT) sources noted that the surge came even as Opposition leaders and industry experts criticised the DoT's order mandating mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install the app, alleging it could enable "snooping" and infringe on citizens' privacy.

A DoT official told PTI that public uptake increased sharply, with total downloads reaching 1.5 crore even before the latest directive was issued.

As per the 28 November order, handset makers must pre-install Sanchar Saathi on all devices sold in India and extend it to existing users through a software update. The directive also requires manufacturers to ensure the app is clearly visible during device setup and that all functionalities remain fully operational.