Apple is struggling with many items on a list of 83 security requirements proposed by the Indian government. This reportedly includes a requirement to hand over the iOS source code.
Reuters reports that the government says it should be able to look at the source code of all smartphones to allow vulnerabilities to be discovered…
In a pair of connected parts, Reuters He cited four sources as well as his own review of government documents.
India is proposing to require smartphone makers to share source code and various software changes with the government as part of a series of security measures, sparking secret opposition from giants like Apple and Samsung (…)
“Source Code Disclosure: Manufacturers must audit and provide their own source code for testing by government-designated laboratories for vulnerabilities in phone operating systems that attackers can exploit.”
Industry group MAIT, which represents Apple, Samsung, Google and Xiaomi, told the government it was “impossible” because of corporate secrecy and global privacy policies.
In addition to commercial privacy, providing iOS source code creates many obvious security risks. It will inevitably expire if it is available outside of Apple, allowing hackers to look for vulnerabilities.
MAIT also objected to a number of other requirements, including reporting to the Indian government before any major security updates or patches. It would obviously be counterproductive to delay his release.
The government has said these are only proposals and is currently consulting with the tech giants.
Since then, there has been confusion with the proposal to reveal the source code. Reuters apparently citing a government document, while the IT ministry (more or less) denies it.
The IT ministry added that it “refutes the allegation” that it is considering requesting source code from smartphone makers, without elaborating or commenting on the government or industry documents cited by Reuters.
Apple previously rejected the Chinese government’s request for source code and similarly refused to create an iOS backdoor for the FBI.
9to5Mac’s opinion
Apple is unlikely to accept such an offer. The Indian government has a history of making demands and then giving in to some of them.
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