Chandigarh, Dec 2 (PTI) AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Tuesday slammed the Centre over the Sanchar Saathi App issue, alleging that it is a direct assault on personal freedom and fundamental privacy.
In a statement, Sisodia said the BJP government issued orders that every mobile phone, old or new, will compulsorily contain this app, and users will not be allowed to delete it.
“This is not about helping people; this is about spying on people. The Modi government wants to sit inside your phone. Privacy has no meaning left in this country today.” Sisodia added.
He warned that through this app, the government will gain access to people’s private conversations, contacts, communication patterns, WhatsApp frequency, and personal digital behaviour.
“Who you talk to, who you don’t talk to, what you discuss, what you order online, what you eat, what you search, everything will be tracked, collected and sold. This is data theft in the name of governance,” he claimed.
He alleged that the BJP government wants to “intrude into citizens’ phones not just for political surveillance but also to facilitate massive bank fraud and financial scams.” Terming it “dangerous, undemocratic and unacceptable,” Sisodia said the BJP is turning India into a surveillance state.
“It is not ‘Sanchar Saathi’. It is ‘SS’ – a surveillance system designed to track citizens, steal their personal information and hand it to big corporations.” In an order dated November 28, the Department of Telecom has directed manufacturers and importers of mobile handsets to ensure that its fraud reporting app, Sanchar Saathi, is pre-installed on all new devices and installed via a software update on existing handsets.
Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday, however, said users are free to delete the Sanchar Saathi app, which will remain dormant till they register on it. PTI CHS NB NB
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