India’s government backs down after Apple refuses order to preinstall app

India’s authorities retreated little than a week aft sending a backstage bid to smartphone manufacturers instructing them to preload a state-backed app connected each phones successful the region. The reversal comes aft manufacture sources told Reuters that Apple planned to garbage to comply with the order. 

Sanchar Saathi is simply a information app operated by India’s Department of Telecommunications that includes features for tracking and blocking mislaid oregon stolen phones utilizing their IMEI. Anyone tin download it connected the App Store oregon Google Play Store already, but India’s authorities bid would person required telephone manufacturers to preload it connected each phones successful the portion and artifact users from disabling it.

India’s Ministry of Communications announced the reversal in a statement connected Wednesday, but inactive asserted that “[Sanchar Saathi] is unafraid and purely meant to assistance citizens from atrocious actors successful the cyber world.” 

The connection doesn’t code the backlash and privateness concerns raised astir the bid to marque the app mandatory. Instead, it attributes the argumentation alteration to voluntary app downloads, stating, “Given Sanchar Saathi’s expanding acceptance, [the] Government has decided not to marque the pre-installation mandatory for mobile manufacturers.” 

Apple did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.