DARK SECRETS: Sanchar saathi | Vintage Vibes

English editorials slam Sanchar Saathi ‘bad governance’, Hindi dailies yet to speak up

Earlier this week, the Department of Telecommunications issued a sweeping directive to all smartphone manufacturers to preinstall the Sanchar Saathi app on new mobile handsets from March 2026 under the Telecom Cyber Security Rules, 2024. Manufacturers have been asked to submit a compliance report to the department within 120 days. 

Newslaundry · Dec 3, 2025

Experts "deeply concerned" by India's plan to force all smartphones to run pre-installed security app

Authorities said the state-owned Sanchar Saathi app comes as a way to halt cybercrime, but digital rights experts fear for users' privacy and mission creep. Here's all we know.

TechRadar · Dec 2, 2025

India’s ‘dystopian’ order to phone makers to pre-load state-owned app sparks concerns about surveillance

Backlash as critics label the app a ‘dystopian tool to monitor every Indian’

The Independent UK · Dec 2, 2025