The Sanchar Saathi app will require permission to read one’s phone’s “state and identity”, Deepstrat Co-Founder Anand Venkatanarayanan mentioned in an X (formerly Twitter) post.
This permission requirement is concerning as it allows the application to determine the device’s phone number, serial number, whether a call is active, and the number the call is connected to as well.
For instance, you (X) are a journalist, and you call your source (Y) for a scoop on a major story, Sanchar Saathi would be able to determine whether you are on a call with Y and also the number of your source.
Notably, Venkatanarayanan’s post comes after the government sent directions to smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the government-run app “Sanchar Saathi” on their devices.
To explain, this application allows users to verify the number of mobile numbers registered with their names, and check the genuineness of International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers (Know your mobile connection). It also provides services such as identifying fraudulent SIM subscribers (Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification, ASTR).
Importantly, with the government’s latest direction, smartphone users will be unable to uninstall or disable the Sanchar Saathi app.
List of permissions and their implications:
Screenshots depicting what all permissions the Sanchar Saathi app needs (Image source: MediaNama)
- Permission to send SMS: This permission can be dangerous if the app seeking it is malicious in nature. Such apps may cost you money by sending SMSes without your confirmation.
- Reading SMS and MMS: Allows the app to read SMSes stored on your phone or SIM card. Importantly, malicious apps can read your confidential messages.
- Reading call logs: Grants the app access to a user’s call logs.
- Internet access: This gives the app full internet access to facilitate communication between two programmes over a network.
- Network status: Allows the Sanchar Saathi app to view the status of all networks.
- Write external storage: The app can read, modify, and delete external storage contents.
- Control vibrations: Allows the app to control the phone vibrations (the vibrating notifications you get from a call, SMS or other services).
- Take pictures and videos: The app can use your camera to take pictures and record videos while you are using it.
- Prevent the phone from sleeping
- Run at startup
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) argues that these permissions allow the app to pre-fill details when reporting suspicious communications, send the required registration SMS,…
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