New Delhi: Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday clarified that Sanchar Saathi security app, which comes pre-installed on some mobile phones, is completely optional for users. He said there is no compulsion to keep it on the device.

“If you don’t want Sanchar Saathi app, you can delete it. It is optional… It is our duty to introduce this app to everyone. Keeping it in their devices or not, is up to the user,” Scindia said outside Parliament.

He said the government’s intention is only to make the security tool available to people, and the decision to keep or remove it will remain with the consumer.

The clarification comes after the Centre’s decision to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new phones made or imported for India raised concerns about privacy. Many people viewed the move as a possible breach of user privacy.

Criticising the move, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called it a "violation of privacy and a step toward authoritarian governance".

The government has defended the decision, saying the Sanchar Saathi app is meant to protect citizens from purchasing fake or non-genuine mobile devices. According to the guidelines issued on November 28, phone makers and importers must ensure that the app is clearly visible and accessible when a user first sets up the device, and that none of its features are blocked or disabled. For phones that are already manufactured and currently available in the market, companies have been asked to add the app through software updates. The companies have to complete the implementation in 90 days and submit a report in 120 days.