The Indian government has decided not to make the Aadhaar app compulsory on smartphones, stepping back after strong objections from major phone makers like Apple and Samsung. The update was confirmed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Friday, according to a Reuters report. What was the original plan? Earlier this year, UIDAI had asked the IT Ministry to talk with smartphone companies, including Apple and Google, about pre-installing the Aadhaar app on all new phones sold in India. Aadhaar is a 12-digit digital identity number linked to fingerprints and iris scans. Today, more than 1.34 billion people in India use it for services such as: Because of its wide use, officials were exploring ways to make Aadhaar access easier through pre-installed apps. Why the plan was dropped? After discussions with stakeholders from the smartphone and electronics industry, the IT Ministry decided not to move forward with the proposal. UIDAI did not share a specific reason, but industry feedback clearly influenced the decision. Manufacturers had raised several concerns, including: Apple and Samsung were among the companies that reportedly highlighted these safety concerns. Not the first attempt Interestingly, this was the sixth attempt in two years by the government to introduce pre-installed state-backed apps on smartphones. Each time, device makers pushed back. A similar situation happened in December, when authorities briefly required a telecom security app to be pre-installed on phones. That rule was withdrawn within days after industry criticism. According to a senior government official, the IT Ministry usually avoids forcing apps onto devices unless there is a strong and urgent need.
