Govt seeks source code access from smartphone firms

THE GOVERNMENT HAS proposed requiring smartphone makers to share source code with it and make several software changes as part of a raft of security measures, prompting behind-the-scenes opposition from giants like Apple and Samsung.

- ADITYA KALRA & MUNSIF VENGATTIL

The tech companies have countered that the package of 83 security standards, which would also include a requirement to alert the government to major software updates, lacks any global precedent and risks revealing proprietary details, according to four people familiar with the discussions and a Reuters' review of confidential government and industry documents.