Apple plans to resist a new Indian government directive that requires all iPhones sold in the country to come pre-installed with a government security app, according to Reuters.
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This week, India's Ministry of Telecommunications ordered all smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi, a non-removable government app designed to help users block stolen devices, report fraudulent calls, and verify used phones.
The app includes detailed government-controlled tracking features, potentially opening a path to widespread data access and potential surveillance, thus creating privacy and security issues for iPhone users.
According to The Business Standard, citing industry sources familiar with the matter, Apple has informed officials that it does not intend to comply with the request. The company is reportedly informing the government that it does not follow such orders anywhere in the world, as they raise a number of privacy and security issues for the company's iOS ecosystem.
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Apple's resistance to the directive will increase pressure on New Delhi, with opposition political parties already accusing the government of excessive intervention.
Responding to criticism, India’s telecom minister, Jyotiraditya M.Scindia, said Tuesday that the app is “completely optional,” adding that users can choose to enable it and can “easily delete it from their phone at any time.” Scindia dismissed the allegations of surveillance, saying the app contains no provisions for spying or call monitoring.
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There are over 700 million smartphone users in India, so any final decision will have significant 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.
