Government Action Against Harmful Mobile Applications

The government has taken decisive action to remove and block certain mobile applications used to compromise the functionality of battery-operated vehicles.

Details of the Action

• Applications affected include BAT-BMS, Lossigy, and Epoch-i-ion, which were used to remotely disable e-vehicles.
• The applications were found on Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS App Stores.
• These actions were motivated by videos showing misuse of the apps to disable vehicles, including e-rickshaws and e-scooters.

Official Statements

Secretary for the IT ministry, S Krishnan, highlighted the need for app stores to exercise due diligence to prevent the appearance of such harmful applications.

Future bans will be applied to any apps found misusing their capabilities to disable battery-operated vehicles remotely.

Functionality of the Applications

• The apps are designed to monitor battery parameters such as levels, temperature, and cycle life.
• Connectivity is established via Bluetooth, allowing users to interact with the battery management device in the vehicle.
• Lack of security measures like password or PIN protection enables unauthorized access, allowing malicious actions.

Cybersecurity Concerns

• Videos of app misuse by content creators raised alarms about potential cybersecurity threats.
• These include the risk of unauthorized individuals remotely shutting down or altering internet-connected vehicle systems.

Future Measures

The government is considering further actions to regulate systems that allow remote locking or control of vehicle management systems connected to cloud services.