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| Photo:File |
Apple, the maker of the iPhone, has decided not to comply with India's order requiring smartphones to pre-install the government's cybersecurity app.
The foreign news agency quoted sources as saying that Apple would convey its concerns to the Indian authorities because the government's move raised concerns about consumer surveillance.
The Indian government has issued secret instructions to companies including Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi, requiring them to add an official app called "Sanchar Saathi" to their phones within the next 90 days.
The app aims to detect, block and prevent misuse of mobile phones in the event of theft. The government wants users to be unable to deactivate the app.
The government has also ordered the app to be installed via software updates on devices already in the supply chain.
The Indian Ministry of Communications later confirmed the move, describing it as a precautionary measure to counter "serious cybersecurity threats."
But political opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and digital privacy experts have sharply criticized the move, saying it could become a way for the government to gain access to the country's 730 million smartphone users.
The foreign news agency, citing industry sources, said that Apple will inform the government that it will not implement such orders in any country in the world, because this creates numerous privacy and security problems for Apple's iOS ecosystem.
Sources say Apple has no intention of going to court or taking any public stance, but the company will make it clear to the government that it cannot comply with the order due to security vulnerabilities.
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