Centre drops plan to pre-install Aadhaar app on smartphones
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The Union government has decided not to proceed with a proposal that would have required smartphone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to pre-install the Aadhaar app on mobile devices, a move that had earlier faced strong resistance from the industry, Reuters reported.
According to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has “is not in favour of mandating the pre-installation of the Aadhaar App on smartphones,” as stated in its communication to Reuters on Friday (April 17).
Last month, Reuters had reported that UIDAI, the body responsible for operating Aadhaar, had in January requested the IT ministry to engage with major smartphone makers, including Apple and Google, and consider making Aadhaar app pre-installation mandatory on devices.
However, UIDAI did not provide specific reasons for the government’s decision to drop the proposal. The IT ministry also did not respond to Reuters’ queries.
The UIDAI further stated that the ministry held consultations with stakeholders from the electronics industry before arriving at the decision to withdraw the proposal.
This was reportedly the sixth attempt in two years by the government to push for pre-installation of state-run apps on smartphones, according to industry communications reviewed by Reuters earlier this year. All such attempts were opposed by the industry.
Smartphone manufacturers had raised concerns over device security, software compatibility, and increased production costs. Companies warned that compliance would likely require separate manufacturing lines for the Indian and export markets.
Apple and Samsung had also reportedly expressed specific concerns regarding user safety and data security, according to sources cited by Reuters in March.