India launches AI-driven portal to track lost, stolen mobile phones

Gulf Today Report

What happens when you lose your mobile phone or it gets stolen? You first call up the telecom provider and tell them to block the phone, then report the matter to the police. That would be the normal procedure. But in India, the government has devised another way: it launched the Sanchar Saathi portal (www.sancharsaathi.gov.in) to help millions track their lost or stolen phones.

The artificial intelligence-driven portal was launched by Communications and Electronics & IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday.

Using this portal, mobile phone owners can also access their SIM card number and block it if anybody is found using the SIM through the owner's ID. This can help check electronic fraud, such as identity theft, forged KYC and banking scams.

In his remarks at the launch, Vaishnaw said that the three reforms -- CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register), Know your Mobile Connections and ASTR (Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition Powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification) have been introduced, according to Indo-Asian News Service.

The CEIR is for blocking stolen/lost mobiles while Know your Mobile Connections is to know mobile connections registered in your name and the ASTR will help identify fraudulent subscribers.

The idea is to ramp up user safety, which is a vital part of the draft Telecom bill.

The new portal has helped identify 40 lakh fraudulent connections and disconnect more than 36 lakh such connections, according to the minister. Clearly, the Indian government knows that where digital or electronic use and safety are concerned, the public should be in a very comfortable position. After all, they should be chuffed with the services, which is the primary goal of the telephone authorities.