A draught proposal being worked on by the Indian government could require smartphone manufacturers to remove pre-installed apps from new phones that cannot be removed.
According to Reuters, who cited a government document, the government is also thinking about requiring mandatory vetting of every significant operating system upgrade before it is made available to users.
Once put into effect, the new regulations might cause significant losses in pre-installed app sales for well-known companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Apple and postpone the introduction of smartphones in the nation.
According to Reuters, who cited a government official, the move comes as the Information and Technology (IT) ministry has expressed security worries over surveillance and misuse of user data from Indian users.
‘Pre-installed apps can be a weak security point and we want to ensure no foreign nations, including China, are exploiting it. It’s a matter of national security,’ the official was quoted as saying.
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