In Focus by The Hindu Sanchar Saathi episode: Is India lowering expectations on consent and privacy?
Dec 5, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Apar Gupta, founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation and a digital rights lawyer, tackles the controversial Sanchar Saathi app. Gupta highlights how the mandatory pre-installation raises serious privacy concerns and questions state surveillance. He argues that an app cannot replace systemic reforms in cybersecurity and critiques excessive data permissions. The podcast also explores broader issues of transparency in digital governance, warning about the risks of increasing state control over technology in India.
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Sanchar Saathi’s Intended Purpose
- Sanchar Saathi aims to tackle cyber frauds, lost phones, and suspicious SIMs via reporting and blocking features.
- Apar Gupta notes millions of uses but questions whether installs equal active successful interventions.
Collect Minimal Data For Security
- Good cybersecurity practice requires collecting the minimal data needed for a function.
- Apar Gupta warns excessive permissions raise operational and privacy risks without clear justification.
Insist On Transparency From The Government
- Demand transparency on Sanchar Saathi's dashboards, update history, and real success metrics before trusting its claims.
- Push the government to publish the actual directions and data so citizens can assess impact and risks.