The Indian government has decided to abandon a proposal to require mobile phone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to pre-install the country's biometric identity application Aadhaar. Previously, this suggestion was strongly opposed by smartphone giants.
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology does not support mandatory pre-installation of the Aadhaar app on smartphones after reviewing the proposal, Unique Identity Authority of India, which operates Aadhaar, said in a statement on Friday. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology held consultations with electronics industry stakeholders before taking the decision, the agency said.
The proposal had required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Aadhaar application on new devices sold in India. Launched in January this year, the app allows users to change and update personal information and manage family files online.
Smartphone manufacturers have raised several concerns when receiving pre-installation proposals, including device security, compatibility, and rising production costs due to the need to run different production lines for the Indian and export markets. Apple and Samsung, in particular, have expressed concerns about the proposal due to safety and security concerns.
This is the sixth time in two years that the Indian government has tried to require phones to come pre-installed with government apps, and all six attempts have been met with industry opposition, according to records of industry communications. In December, the Indian government faced criticism for requiring smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a telecom security app and was forced to reverse the decision within days.
The proposal comes as India is trying to attract companies such as Apple to expand its role as a global smartphone hub. A senior Indian official said that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology does not support pre-installation of any application unless it is deemed absolutely necessary.
While the Indian government insists Aadhaar is safe and secure, the app has faced ongoing criticism from privacy advocates, including incidents involving personal data breaches.
A founder of a digital advocacy group in New Delhi welcomed the government's decision to abandon the pre-installation proposal and said other such proposals should also be rejected as they lack a legislative basis and have no public policy objectives. He said he hopes this is a welcome exercise in regulatory restraint that recognizes that citizens carrying mobile phones are an extension of their autonomy, rather than a container for government directives.