New Delhi, Dec 2 (NationPress) The Sanchar Saathi mobile application is not compulsory and users can choose to uninstall it, stated Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday amidst ongoing privacy debates.

During a press interaction, Scindia emphasized that the decision to retain the app rests with the users, and uninstalling it from their devices is entirely permissible.

"If you do not wish to keep Sanchar Saathi, you are free to remove it. It is optional... Our responsibility is to inform everyone about this app. Whether or not to keep it on their devices is solely the user's choice," the Union Minister remarked.

He further clarified that the platform does not facilitate any form of snooping or call surveillance.

This clarification follows concerns regarding the government's directive to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi mobile application on all newly manufactured or imported mobile devices for use in India, which many perceived as an infringement on privacy.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticized this action, labeling it a "breach of privacy and a move towards authoritarian governance."

The government maintains that the initiative aims to protect citizens from purchasing counterfeit products.

According to the guidelines issued on November 28, mobile manufacturers and importers must ensure that the pre-installed Sanchar Saathi application is clearly visible and accessible to end users during the initial setup of the device, and that its features remain fully operational.

Moreover, for devices already in circulation within India, manufacturers and importers are expected to promote the app via software updates.

They have a timeline of 90 days to implement these changes and must provide a report within 120 days.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is spearheading the Sanchar Saathi initiative to combat the misuse of telecom resources in cyber fraud and to enhance telecom cybersecurity.

In a separate statement, the DoT noted that certain app-based communication services utilizing Indian mobile numbers for customer identification or service delivery allow users to access services without the presence of the underlying Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in the device running the app.

This loophole is being exploited to perpetrate cyber fraud, particularly from abroad.

The issue of SIM binding in messaging apps and its potential misuse has been flagged by various government agencies and an inter-ministerial group.