Reports: India's Plan for Preloading Aadhaar App on Phones Met With Resistance
Loading more articles...
India's Aadhaar App Pre-installation on Phones Faces Tech Giant Pushback
C
CNBC TV18•19-03-2026, 20:33
India's Aadhaar App Pre-installation on Phones Faces Tech Giant Pushback
•India proposed pre-installing its Aadhaar biometric ID app on phones from Apple, Samsung, and Google, facing opposition from tech firms.
•The request is one of six government app pre-installation mandates opposed by MAIT, an Indian IT industry body.
•Companies cited concerns over increased production costs, potential functional issues, and safety/security, particularly Apple and Samsung.
•Aadhaar, a 12-digit ID linked to biometrics for 1.34 billion residents, is used for verification but has faced privacy concerns and data leak criticisms.
•The government believes pre-installation would enhance Aadhaar's reach, but companies argue it doesn't serve a greater public good and creates separate production lines.
