Apple Defends Privacy Rights: Battles Indian Government for iOS Source Code

Apple is currently in a battle with the Indian government over a list of 83 security requirements. One of the demands is for Apple to hand over its iOS source code.

According to Reuters, the Indian government insists on reviewing the source code of all smartphones to detect vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

Industry group MAIT, representing tech giants like Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi, has pushed back against this requirement citing corporate secrecy and global privacy policies.

Revealing the iOS source code not only breaches commercial confidentiality but also poses significant security risks as it could be exploited by hackers if leaked.

MAIT has also raised objections to other demands, such as being informed about major updates or security patches in advance, which could delay their release.

The Indian government has clarified that these are just proposals and discussions are ongoing with tech companies.

There seems to be some confusion regarding the source code disclosure proposal, with Reuters quoting a government document while the IT ministry denies considering such a request.

Apple has a history of rejecting similar demands, as seen in its refusal to provide source code to the Chinese government and creating a backdoor into iOS for the FBI.

9to5Mac’s Perspective

It is highly unlikely that Apple will comply with the Indian government’s source code disclosure request. The government has a pattern of making demands and later retracting some of them.

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