Overview
- Reuters reported draft Indian Telecom Security Assurance Requirements include 83 measures such as government review of device source code, advance notice of major updates, uninstallable preloads, background camera and microphone limits, periodic malware scans, and one‑year on‑device logs.
- The IT ministry and PIB publicly refuted that any rule to compel source‑code sharing has been proposed, saying no final regulations exist and stakeholder consultations are underway.
- IT Secretary S. Krishnan said any legitimate industry concerns will be addressed with an open mind and called it premature to draw conclusions.
- Reuters reported the ministry called off a Tuesday meeting with tech companies that had been set to gather feedback on the draft standards.
- Privacy advocates, including the Internet Freedom Foundation and experts at Access Now, warned that source‑code access and pre‑testing updates could expand state surveillance and create conflicts of interest, while MAIT flagged battery drain and storage limits as obstacles to continuous scans and year‑long log retention.