AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
New Delhi, March 14, 2023 (PPI-OT): Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government is working on a draft proposal that could force smartphone companies to remove apps which come pre-installed on new phones that cannot be deleted, says a media report. According to Kashmir Media Service, moreover, the Modi government is also considering imposing mandatory screening of every major operating system update before it is made available to consumers, Reuters reported citing a government document.
The report said that the new rules, once implemented, could lead to massive losses in business from pre-installed apps for major firms like Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Apple, and could delay the launch of smartphones in the country. It said, the move comes as the Indian ministry of Information and Technology (IT) has raised so-called security concerns over spying and abuse of Indian users’ data.
“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 report quoted an official as saying. Presently, all smartphones come with pre-installed apps that cannot be deleted, such as Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi’s app store GetApps, Samsung’s payment app Samsung Pay mini and iPhone maker Apple’s browser Safari.
Under the proposed guilders, smartphone users would be given an uninstall option and new models will be checked for compliance by a lab authorized by the Bureau of Indian Standards agency, two people aware of the plan told Reuters.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org