India Abandons Mandatory Aadhaar App on Smartphones

India's government has abandoned a proposal to require smartphone manufacturers, including Apple and Samsung, to preinstall the state-run Aadhaar biometric identification app on all devices sold in the country, according to a statement from the Unique Identification Authority of India on Friday.

The Unique Identification Authority of India, the agency overseeing the Aadhaar system, had approached the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in January to initiate discussions with major tech companies about mandatory preloading of the app. Aadhaar provides a 12-digit unique identity number to residents, linked to their photographs, fingerprints, and iris scans. Issued to more than 1.34 billion people, it serves as proof of identity and residence and is integral to accessing government benefits, banking services, tax filings, mobile connections, and other essential functions.

The ministry reviewed the request following consultations with stakeholders from the electronics industry and ultimately decided against mandating the preinstallation. "India's IT ministry reviewed the proposal and is not in favor of mandating the preinstallation of the Aadhaar App on smartphones,"...