India has backed away from a plan that would have forced Apple and other smartphone makers to preinstall government apps on new devices. The proposal, which included apps like Aadhaar and Sanchar Saathi, had raised ongoing concerns around user privacy, security, and device-level control.
The decision follows consultations between the government’s IT ministry and industry stakeholders. While no detailed explanation was provided, the outcome aligns with strong resistance from companies like Apple, which has consistently pushed back against mandatory preloads that could affect its ecosystem and user trust.
At the center of the debate was Aadhaar, India’s national biometric ID system used by over 1.3 billion residents. It links identity to fingerprints, iris scans, and personal data, and is widely used across banking, telecom, and public services. The government had explored making its companion app a default part of smartphones, but manufacturers raised concerns about security risks and operational complexity.
Apple, in particular, opposed the move on both privacy and technical grounds. The company has long avoided preinstalling third party apps that are not essential to the core experience. Integrating a government-controlled app at the system level would have introduced new risks, especially in a market where user data protections are closely scrutinized.
There were also supply chain implications. Enforcing region-specific software requirements would likely have forced Apple and others to maintain separate production and software pipelines for India. That would increase costs and complicate global device consistency, something Apple has historically avoided.
This is not the first time India has attempted to push preinstallation rules. Reports indicate that the government has made multiple similar proposals over the past two years, all of which were ultimately dropped after industry opposition. Earlier efforts included mandates tied to telecom security apps, which were also rolled back shortly after being announced.
For now, apps like Aadhaar and Sanchar Saathi remain available through standard app distribution channels. Users can choose to install them if needed, but they will not be forced onto devices or pushed through system updates.
(via Reuters)
