The Indian government issued a firm denial on Sunday, refuting a news report that claimed it was proposing to force smartphone manufacturers to hand over their proprietary source code as part of a major security overhaul.
What Did the Reuters Report Claim?
A report from the news agency Reuters had made a significant claim. It stated that India was proposing to require smartphone makers to share their source code with the government. The report, citing four unnamed sources and a review of confidential documents, suggested this was part of a broader set of security measures. It further claimed that this proposed move had led to behind-the-scenes opposition from industry giants like Apple and Samsung.
Government's Official Fact-Check and Clarification
The Press Information Bureau (PIB), the government's fact-checking unit, swiftly addressed the report. The PIB explicitly stated that the Government of India has NOT proposed any measure to force smartphone manufacturers to share their source code.
It clarified that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has merely initiated a process of consultations with industry stakeholders. The goal of these talks is to devise an appropriate regulatory framework for mobile security. The government emphasized that this is a regular and routine part of forming any safety or security standards. Various aspects are discussed with the industry, and no final regulations have been framed yet.
"No final regulations have been framed, and any future framework will be formulated only after due consultations," the government's fact-check noted.
Industry Sources Echo the Government's Stance
Echoing the government's position, sources in the mobile phone manufacturing industry told PTI that the discussions are part of a routine consultation process. The talks are being held under the Indian Telecom Security Assurance Requirements (ITSAR) framework. This framework was established by the National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
ITSAR broadly covers safety standards for telecom equipment, including aspects related to software updates and the source code of communication devices. A source explained to PTI that MeitY has been authorized to handle mobile phone safety issues based on the ITSAR standard, and conversations with industry players are ongoing smoothly.
"The process has just started, and there is no mandate that the government has issued or is pressing for," one source stated. Major companies like Apple, Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, and the industry group MAIT did not respond to PTI's requests for comment on the matter.
The issue of source code is highly sensitive in the tech world. Smartphone makers guard their source code closely as it contains core intellectual property. For instance, Apple famously declined requests from Chinese authorities for its source code between 2014 and 2016, and U.S. law enforcement agencies have also faced challenges in accessing it.
