According to reports, India is planning to introduce a policy requiring the removal of pre-installed apps or bloatware and mandatory pre-screening of software upgrades on Android phones.
A Reuters report tells us that the move is part of the government's efforts to address the critical privacy and information security vulnerabilities associated with most smartphones used in India.
Meanwhile, a considerable number of handsets in the country are manufactured by foreign companies based in China, South Korea, and the United States.
As per IDC data, 201 million mobile phones were shipped to India in 2022, most of which came from the companies Xiaomi, Samsung, and vivo.
What Is Bloatware?
Bloatware refers to unwanted third-party apps and services that are often pre-installed on smartphones. Bloatware, according to Avast, is rarely helpful and primarily acts as a revenue stream for phone makers and distributors.
Phone manufacturers also partner with these companies to cut expenses and sell their products at lower prices.
Apple and Google pre-install their apps on their phones, such as Google Photos or Apple Music, to improve features and boost their user bases regarding services. And it seems like the Indian government is not okay with this.
India Cracks Down on Bloatware and Pre-installed Apps
According to a report by TechRadar, the Indian government considers both irremovable and third-party apps to be unacceptable, with a few exceptions for fundamental apps such as camera apps.
The Indian government will establish a compliance board to determine whether or not smartphones comply with the rules. If deemed deficient, extra testing time and fines could be incurred by phone makers, leading to launch delays and even higher prices.
The same report highlights that some companies affected by this regulation will be Chinese names such as Xiaomi and Oppo, which generally ship products at lower rates than Samsung or Apple. These companies are partly sponsored by the integrated apps that this latest policy targets.
India had already forced Google to adjust its Android installation policies, allowing manufacturers to choose which Google apps to pre-install rather than a bulk package.
Read our coverage on India's suspension of Play Store billings here.
The tech firm also enabled third-party app charging, allowing developers to use their payment processors instead of the Google Play payment system.
Governments Prioritizing Privacy
Apart from India, the European Union (EU) has also prioritized privacy for years. The Digital Markets and Services Act has already addressed the removal of pre-installed apps.
The measure attempts to instill a sense of accountability in major tech companies while providing more control to EU customers. The approach would aid in removing illegal online content and better user education.
As a result of India's action, device manufacturers may be compelled to offer more cost-effective product choices on a global scale as they compete with rising prices. Customers may see more transparent pricing, and manufacturers may be forced to devise new ways to compensate for the costs of subsidizing their products.
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