Buying a new smartphone might soon come with a government-mandated surprise. According to latest reports, the Indian government is considering a proposal to make the ‘Aadhaar App’ pre-installed on all new mobile handsets. However, global tech giants like Apple, Samsung, and Google have reportedly raised red flags over this move.

The UIDAI has proposed to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) that smartphone manufacturers should pre-load the Aadhaar application to facilitate easier access to biometric locking and data updates for citizens. While the government aims for digital convenience, the Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT) has strongly opposed the move, citing concerns over user privacy and data security.

Tech companies argue that creating a separate software ecosystem specifically for the Indian market would disrupt global production lines and significantly increase manufacturing costs, eventually leading to a hike in mobile prices. Similar tensions were witnessed last year regarding the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app. As the debate over privacy versus accessibility intensifies, the tech world eagerly awaits the government’s final stance on this mandatory pre-installation.