Sanchar Saathi expands, raising new questions about data privacy
The Department of Telecommunications has expanded the scope of Sanchar Saathi, the portal originally created to prevent SIM fraud and help citizens track lost devices. The updated mandate increases the range of data collected and the types of device information that can be monitored. This could strengthen consumer protection, but it also increases concerns about privacy, proportionality and the long-term design of digital public infrastructure. For India, this is a reminder that design for digital systems is both an art and science. They must keep citizens safe from fraud and misinformation, and they must also protect autonomy, consent and privacy. These goals often pull in different directions, which means the real design challenge lies in how we balance them.
These goals often pull in different directions, which means the real design challenge lies in how we balance them.