Government launches AI-based Sanchar Saathi to fight telecom frauds

The government has launched an artificial intelligence based portal called Sanchar Saathi to trace and block lost or stolen phones. This can be done even if a new sim is inserted in the phone. Sanchar Saathi also allows the telecom users to disconnect from any network provider and help in protecting the data.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched three reforms today. The first reform is the centralised identity equipment that is registered as the first leg. Any phone number can be uniquely identified through this. Once a mobile is lost, the user can register the number here. After this the phone will be blocked.

The second reform is Know your mobile. This enables the citizens to find out all the phone connection taken in a name across the country via an AI algorithm.

The third reform called as Astr uses AI to determine the number of connections a person has taken. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also said that Astr has been developed and implemented on 87 crore mobile connections. As a result of these efforts, 40 lakh fraudulent connections have been detected. Out of these, 36 lakh connections have been disconnected.

Vaishnaw also said that the government is working with Whatsapp and other OTT platforms to de-register any number that is found out to be fraudulent.