Apple vs. India: App Drama 🤯📱 Crisis!

Tech & Science

Following significant pushback against a mandate requiring smartphones sold in India to come pre-installed with a state-owned, undeletable application, the government is now indicating that users will be able to delete the app. This shift in position, however, is unlikely to alter Apple’s steadfast refusal to comply with the order. Last week, the Indian government issued a directive demanding that smartphone manufacturers pre-install Sanchar Saathi, a state-owned application promoted as a security tool. The app offers functionality for reporting stolen devices, blocking a phone’s unique IMEI number with carriers, and reporting spam or scam phone numbers. Despite these features, Apple maintains its refusal to comply, stating that such mandates raise substantial privacy and security concerns for its iOS ecosystem and are not followed anywhere in the world. Two industry sources, who requested anonymity, confirmed Apple’s position. The original mandate included a key requirement: the app must be undeletable, either pre-installed on new devices or automatically installed via a software update. While the government now appears to be backing away from the undeletable stipulation, it remains firm in its demand that manufacturers pre-install or automatically install the app.