Govt's new security testing plan targets pre-installed phone apps

Smartphone players often sell their devices with proprietary apps, but also sometimes pre-install others with which they have monetisation agreements

India plans to force smartphone makers to allow removal of pre-installed apps and mandate screening of major operating system updates under proposed new security rules, according to two people and a government document seen by Reuters.
 

The new rules, details of which have not been previously reported, could extend launch timelines in the world’s No.2 smartphone market and lead to losses in business from pre-installed apps for players including Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Apple.
 

India’s IT ministry is considering these new rules amid concerns about spying and abuse of user data, said a senior government official, one of the two