The Indian government intends to force smartphone makers to remove a number of apps preinstalled. The measure is in the initial phase of studies and should reach not only the Android universe, but also Apple.
In addition, Indian authorities are considering inspecting the main software updates that manufacturers release for their devices. According to sources working for the government, the move is designed to bolster the security of Indian citizens.
Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO and other manufacturers. All must submit to Indian government rules and remove apps like Safari, Samsung Pay, Xiaomi’s GetApps store and many others.
In its justification, the Ministry of IT of India states that the rules are being studied to guarantee the privacy of Indian users, since these pre-installed applications can be used for data collection.
Pre-installed apps can be a security hole, and we want to make sure no foreign nation, including China, exploits it. It’s a matter of national security.
If the measure is approved, all manufacturers must provide an option to uninstall proprietary applications. In addition, the deadline for the new practice to be initiated is up to one year.
The government held a meeting with representatives of Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple and Vivo, but other companies should be called soon.
For now, the companies have not commented on the matter, but there are those who believe that the new measures of the Indian government may delay the launch of new smartphones in the country. That’s because the authorities want to do a software analysis of each device before it enters the market.
