Apple to Resist India's Order to Preload Government App on iPhones

[MacRumors]

Apple will resist a new Indian government directive that would require all iPhones sold in the country to ship with a preinstalled state-run security app, reports Reuters.

This week, India's Department of Telecommunications ordered all smartphone makers to preload Sanchar Saathi, a non-removable government app designed to help users block stolen devices, report fraudulent calls, and verify second-hand phones.

The app includes detailed tracking functionality controlled by the government, potentially opening a pathway for broad data access and potential surveillance, so there are privacy and security implications for iPhone users.

According to The Business Standard, citing industry sources familiar with the matter, Apple has informed officials it does not plan to comply with the requirement. The company will reportedly tell the government it does not follow such mandates anywhere in the world as they raise a host of privacy and security issues for the company's iOS ecosystem.

Apple's resistance to the directive will put added pressure on New Delhi, with political opposition parties already accusing the government of overreach.

In response to the criticism, India's telecom minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Tuesday said the app was "completely optional," adding that users can choose to activate it and can "easily delete it from their phone at any time." Scindia rejected allegations of surveillance, stating the app contains no provisions for snooping or call monitoring.

There are more than 700 million smartphone users in India, so any final decision will have major implications for how much control the government can exert over device software and how far tech companies like Apple can go in enforcing their own privacy standards.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple to Resist India's Order to Preload Government App on iPhones

 

[ForkHandles]

My money is on India!

Foreign companies are only allowed into India’s markets by permission given by the government.

There are no super markets for example. No 7-11 network that sells cheap and puts the tens of millions of sole traders out of business.

Apple has to open a factory to be able to operate within the country. The Indian government needs balance in order to grant permissions.

I’d be surprised if Apple continued to have access whilst resisting the governments efforts to make online trade more secure.

Obviously Apple has to resist, the demands are at the very least contentious. That said I think the Indians have the leverage.

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

I gotta be with Apple on this one, bugger off with that nonsense.

The scam call centres that operate only do so with the full political, police and judicial backing, and unless something changes massively everything else is just performative bs.

I get so many scam and spam calls that I personally have kept "silence unknown callers" as the default mode on my iPhone with the ringer and all calls allowed option only when I'm truly expecting an new call.

 

[macfacts]

no one is forcing apple to sell in India and it is up to citizens of India to tell their government they don't want pre-installed apps for privacy.

 

[timber]

When Apple finds the same backbone dealing with China I will become much less cynical than today.

 

[Le0M]

The company will reportedly tell the government it does not follow such mandates anywhere in the world as they raise a host of privacy and security issues for the company's iOS ecosystem.

I wish that were true for iCloud in China as well.

But no, here all data is in the hands of a government-controlled company.
God knows if they actually manage to decipher user's data without no one's consent.

 

[macbookj0e]

Apple, Samsung and all other manufacturers should come together and form an agreement to disagree to these practices worldwide.

 

[chmania]

This week, India's Department of Telecommunications ordered all smartphone makers to preload Sanchar Saathi, a non-removable government app designed to help users block stolen devices, report fraudulent calls, and verify second-hand phones.

Well, there's nothing anyone can do about that, as that's a government order. India is a large country!
The BJP has 303 seats out of 542, which is 56%.