‘Misleading’: Govt Debunks Report Claiming Phone Makers Being Forced To Share Source Code

Last Updated:January 11, 2026, 11:09 PM IST

The PIB Fact Check post called the report misleading and urged the public to verify information through official sources.

PIB clarified MeitY has only started stakeholder consultations to discuss a possible regulatory framework for mobile security.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Sunday denied claims that the central government had asked smartphone makers to share their source code or make software changes, rejecting a Reuters report that suggested this was part of a security overhaul.

In a statement posted on X, the PIB said the “Government of India has NOT proposed any measure to force smartphone manufacturers to share their source code.”

The PIB Fact Check post called the report misleading and urged the public to verify information through official sources.

It clarified that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has only started stakeholder consultations to discuss a possible regulatory framework for mobile security.

“This is a part of regular and routine consultations with the industry for any safety or security standards. Once a stakeholder consultation is done, then various aspects of security standards are discussed with the industry,” the post said.

“No final regulations have been framed,” the PIB added, noting that any future framework would be developed only after detailed consultations with all stakeholders.

The Reuters report had claimed that India was considering new smartphone security rules that would require companies to share source code with authorities, notify the government before major software updates, and make several software changes. The report said the proposals had drawn criticism from global technology companies including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and Google.

According to the report, industry groups warned that sharing source code could expose sensitive proprietary information and harm user privacy. Companies were also said to be concerned about requirements such as storing system logs for long periods and allowing government access for security testing.

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