New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued notices to Google and Apple, directing them to remove seven applications from their respective app stores over alleged misuse in disabling batteries used in e-rickshaws and other electric vehicles.
The apps were allegedly being used to remotely shut down vehicle batteries, disrupting the operation of e-rickshaws and other EVs, ANI reported quoting sources.
Among the applications identified are BAT-BMS, SMART BMS and LOSSIGY.
The government took serious note of the issue after multiple complaints from e-rickshaw operators about unexplained disruptions affecting their vehicles.
The government is worried that such applications could be misused to immobilise vehicles without the knowledge or consent of users.
The action will prevent misuse of software which can not only disrupt functioning of electric vehicle batteries but also pose risks to vehicle owners and operators.
S Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, said, “There are a couple of apps which came up to our notice yesterday. Both of them have been taken down from the app stores.”
He stated that app stores have a responsibility to ensure that applications made available to users do not pose risks to public safety or facilitate unlawful activities.
“The idea is that this is due care that the app stores have to exercise and we will take it up with the app stores to see that possibly damaging apps do not come up,” he said.
There has been a rapid growth in the use of electric rickshaws in India as it is an affordable and environment-friendly mode of transport, particularly for last-mile connectivity in urban and semi-urban areas.
There was no immediate response from Google or Apple on the notices.
