Apple is planning to tell the Indian government it won't comply with an order to preinstall a state-backed app on iPhones, as doing so would introduce big security and privacy issues.
On Monday, the Indian government issued a directive to smartphone producers, demanding they preinstall a state-owned cybersecurity app on their devices. As expected, Apple intends to resist the order.
Sources of Reuters say that Apple's response will not comply with the plan. Instead, Apple will tell the government that it doesn't follow mandates to preinstall specific apps anywhere in the world.
As to why, Apple will claim that doing so raises privacy and security issues for the iOS ecosystem. One source added that Apple will explain that there is an inevitability of security vulnerabilities that will probably emerge from doing so.
Apple "can't do this. Period," said a source.
While it wants to resist the order on security grounds, Apple also doesn't plan on heading to court to resolve the matter. Based on its history, it will probably do so if pushed.
Under the directive, companies like Apple, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi will be required to preinstall the app, Sanchar Saathi, on smartphones at the point of manufacture, within 90 days. The app also cannot be deleted by users once it is installed.
The app is used to track and block stolen phones, as well as preventing them from being misused in scams and other crimes. It already has an install base of 5 million since launching in January, and the government claims it has helped recover over 700,000 devices.
Though the initial order was made in secret, India's telecom ministry later confirmed the existence of the directive. It insisted it was a security measure to combat "serious endangerment" of cybersecurity.
"India has a big second-hand mobile device market," the ministry justified. "Cases have also been observed where stolen or blacklisted devices are being resold.
Internal criticism and odd messaging
Following the initial reporting of the directive, critics have been quick to complain about the privacy and security implications. That includes a number of lawmakers accusing the government of demanding the installation of a snooping tool.
The Congress Party, the main opposition in the country, plans to speak about the app in parliament. It has also called for a rollback of the mandate. Other political opponents have also criticized the move, accusing the government of trying to have access to the 730 million smartphones in circulation in the country.
A top Congress leader, KC Venugopal said in response, "Big Brother cannot watch us."
Sources say that other companies affected by the order are considering their options. It was also claimed by sources that the directive was issued without any prior consultation with the telecoms industry.
In an oddly tone-deaf claim following the wave of backlash, India's telecom minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia called the app a "voluntary and democratic system." They insisted that users can choose to activate the app and can "easily delete it from their phone at any time."
The comment by the minister is made despite the directive instructing manufacturers that the "functionalities are not disabled or restricted" in the app, and preventing its deletion. While users can delete the app right now from their devices, the same action won't be possible for the preloaded version.
Monday wasn't the first time that India tried to get Apple to install the app on the iPhone. In January, India talked to Apple and Google about preinstalling a state-backed suite of apps.
While Apple and Google declined the request, there were undertones that a change in the law could occur, forcing companies into compliance.
India has previously wanted more access to Apple's software, too. In 2023, it demanded to receive operating system updates for pre-screening purposes, under claims it was concerned about spying and abuse.
By mandating the installation of an app onto millions of devices sold in the country, India's practically introducing spying concerns of its own making.
