India’s new standards for smartphone security

India is planning to implement new security rules that would require smartphone makers to allow the removal of pre-installed apps and mandate the screening of major operating system updates. The new rules, which have not been previously reported, are being considered due to concerns about spying and abuse of user data.

According to a senior government official, pre-installed apps can be a weak security point, and the government wants to ensure that no foreign nations, including China, are exploiting it. This is a matter of national security.

The use of technology from Chinese firms like Huawei and Hikvision has raised fears globally that Beijing could use it to spy on foreign citizens. India has banned over 300 Chinese apps, including TikTok, and intensified scrutiny of investments by Chinese firms since a 2020 border clash between the two countries. China denies these allegations.

Currently, most smartphones come with pre-installed apps that cannot be deleted. For instance, Xiaomi’s app store GetApps, Samsung’s payment app Samsung Pay mini, and Apple’s browser Safari. Under the new rules, smartphone makers will have to provide an uninstall option, and new models will be checked for compliance by a lab authorized by the Bureau of Indian Standards agency.

The government is also considering mandating screening of every major operating system update before it is rolled out to consumers. The IT ministry meeting record from February 8 stated that the majority of smartphones used in India have pre-installed apps/bloatware that pose serious privacy/information security issues. Representatives from Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple, and Vivo attended the closed-door meeting.

The government has decided to give smartphone makers a year to comply once the rule comes into effect. The exact date for when the rule will come into effect is not yet fixed. The companies and India’s IT ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

These new rules could potentially extend launch timelines in the world’s second-largest smartphone market and lead to losses in business from pre-installed apps for players like Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Apple.