Govt orders removal of 3 Chinese apps linked to e-rickshaws shutdowns

The government on Friday ordered removal of three mobile applications that allegedly allowed users to remotely shut down e-rickshaws have been removed from app stores.

The apps – BAT-BMS, Lossigy and Epoch-i-ion – are designed to monitor lithium batteries but have come under scrutiny after viral social media videos purportedly showed people using them to remotely disable e-rickshaws.

The action from the government came after some videos surfaced showing that some e-rickshaws were being rendered inoperable through a remote shutdown feature linked to the Chinese smartphone application BAT-BMS.

IT Secretary S Krishnan said app stores must exercise due diligence before hosting such applications, adding that the government would take up the matter with them to ensure that potentially harmful apps are not made available.

"That is right...there are a couple of apps, which came to our notice yesterday and both of them have been taken down from the app stores," Krishnan told reporters on the sidelines of a CII Cybersecurity Summit.

However, the apps were available for download on the Google Play Store at the time of writing this.

The controversy erupted after videos circulated on social media allegedly showing teenagers and young adults connecting to nearby e-rickshaw batteries through Bluetooth and switching them off while the vehicles were either moving or waiting in traffic.

Several videos showed stranded drivers struggling to restart their vehicles, with some forced to push their e-rickshaws after being unable to identify the reason for the sudden shutdown.

The apps display battery health, voltage, temperature, charging and discharging status, state of charge, cycle life and other operating parameters without requiring a separate battery monitor.

According to the BAT-BMS app description on the Google Play Store, it is designed for "Smart Bluetooth lithium battery" systems and enables wireless connection to compatible batteries within an operating range of up to 15 metres. It also allows users to switch between multiple connected batteries from a single smartphone.

The issue has raised concerns that many Battery Management Systems installed in lithium batteries rely on Bluetooth connections without password protection, allowing nearby smartphones to connect if left unsecured. This vulnerability has allegedly been exploited to disconnect compatible battery systems remotely.