Description: Competition authorities, in India and across the globe, are increasingly proscribing sideloading. Sideloading entails downloading an application from outside the perimeter of a first-party app store, such as, the Apple AppStore or the Google Play Store.
In India, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs introduced the Draft Digital Competition Bill (DDCB) 2024. The DDCB introduces ex-ante obligations for large digital entities classified as “Systemically Significant Digital Enterprises” in the name of enhancing fairness and contestability. Section 13(a) of the Bill prohibits these entities from restricting or impeding the ability of users to download third-party applications or software. This means that even the warning shown to Android users about the risks of sideloading would not be permitted under this provision.
This report evaluates the security implications of enabling sideloading in the interest of promoting digital competition.
Attribution: Karnal Singh, Meghna Bal and Mohit Chawdhry. Sideloading: A National Security Threat. Issue No. 52, 2025, Esya Centre.