trai apps dnd logo 2Apple has agreed to help the Indian government develop an anti-spam app for iOS devices, after initially refusing to do so because of privacy concerns, according to Reuters.

In early September we reported that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) attempted to get its Do Not Disturb (DND) software on the App Store. The app lets users share spam call and text message logs with the agency, which then sends the data to mobile operators for them to block the spammers.

Apple originally told regulators that the DND app violates its privacy policy, however today's report suggests the tech giant has had a change of heart.

Facing public criticism from the regulator, Apple executives flew to New Delhi last month and told officials the company would help develop the app, but only with limited capabilities, according to a government official aware of the matter.

Apple's executives have told India that its current iOS platform might not allow for some of the government's requests, such as making call logs available within the app that would allow users to report them as spam, the official said.

According to Indian officials, Apple has offered to help develop an app that can solve the regulator's requirements "to an extent".

Meanwhile, an Apple spokesman has confirmed that the new iOS features to combat spam text messages would help the government build the app, but he didn't comment on the app's potential inability to access call logs for reporting spam. The spokesman also underlined the fact that Apple had not changed its stance on privacy.

Marketing cold calls and unsolicited commercial text messages have become a big problem in India. Mobile users have the option to register themselves under a "do not disturb" service to block marketers, but businesses have gamed the system by using multiple phone numbers for promotions, according to Reuters. TRAI's Do Not Disturb app has been available on Android since last year and has been downloaded more than 100,000 times.

Before the app launches, it asks the user to allow it access to contacts and view text messages. Users can then start reporting numbers as spam. This kind of access has evidently concerned Apple. "The app can peep into logs, Apple had conveyed that their (privacy) policy does not allow this," said a cited industry source familiar with the matter. Those concerns prompted Apple to ask for talks with state regulators, but the proposal has apparently frustrated officials.

"The whole exercise in organizing the proposed meeting would be a waste of resources ... please share concrete solutions that have a likelihood of addressing the issues we have been discussing over the past one year," the regulator wrote in September.

Later the same month, Apple told TRAI it had identified potential solutions, but that it would need to have further discussions with the regulator's technical staff. Those discussions are said to have taken place in October, with Apple subsequently confirming that it would help develop the first version of the app with limited features.

Apple has been in talks with the Indian government to open retail stores and to gain permission to sell used iPhones imported into the country. The company is also seeking economic concessions including tax breaks as it sets up local manufacturing plants there, but those efforts could have been negatively impacted by Apple's refusal to approve the anti-spam software.

Tag: India

Top Rated Comments

thisisnotmyname Avatar
70 months ago
click-bait-y headline since the salient piece of the article is "but only with limited capabilities." The big sticking point was that the Indian government wanted full access to call logs in their app which would give them the ability to do whatever they wish with those data. What Apple has proposed back is similar to Apps other telecoms have (e.g. ATT) that report on spam blocking and allow you to report. Key difference being that the App doesn't get direct access to call data on the device.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
70 months ago
"The whole exercise in organizing the proposed meeting would be a waste of resources ... please share concrete solutions that have a likelihood of addressing the issues we have been discussing over the past one year," the regulator wrote in September.
My wife says this sounds rude... and like something I would say to someone. Just sounds direct to me, and efficient, and truthful. Probably saved about 6 months of back and forth.

On topic: I wish someone would find an answer for spammers using local numbers.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
err404 Avatar
70 months ago
Apple didn’t reject the concept of a DND app. Many exist on iOS already. The issue was the proposed implementation. If they make a more compliant app it shouldn’t be an issue.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imronburgundy Avatar
70 months ago
Don't answer numbers not in your phone's contacts.
Great advice /s. Seriously, when you get 5+ calls a day from "local" numbers that are really just spoofed calls, some peoples' jobs require them to answer the phone and it can get tiring.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mabhatter Avatar
70 months ago
Apple didn’t reject the concept of a DND app. Many exist on iOS already. The issue was the proposed implementation. If they make a more compliant app it shouldn’t be an issue.
I think the problem is that the app seems to want evidence to send as well. So the app is trying to pull the actual call log with numbers and times of unwanted calls? maybe they have to bug you 3 times before you can report a number or something?

Either way, Apple doesn’t open up Phone logs like that to apps, let alone an app that would also reference contacts. They might do it “one time” but the power grab is real to be abused.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thisisnotmyname Avatar
70 months ago
I disagree. Your assumptions can't be safe because you misinterpreted what you read in the article... either you did or I did. But nowhere in the article is the Indian government stating Apple hasn't changed it privacy stance. I'm thinking you're referencing this:

That's not a representative of the Indian government. That's an Apple rep. That's an Apple rep who didn't comment on the call log access and said Apple didn't change it's stance on privacy. Stance. That is the key word here. Apple's stance is simply what they believe, not their policy. They didn't change their stance on privacy in China either, yet they removed VPN apps. So presented with the problem of making the Indian government happy so that Apple can continue to do business in India, Occam's Razor suggests Apple is going to help them build an app that will make them happy. What's constituted in that happiness, we don't know. That's been my entire point. So that I'm clear, my disagreement isn't with what Apple might do to satisfy the Indian government. My disagreement is with your assertion. There's simply no basis for it and recent history to the contrary.
I fail at reading comprehension today, I mixed up the Apple and Indian Government spokespeople.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
original iphone auction

Factory-Sealed Original iPhone Sells for $55,000 at Auction

Friday March 17, 2023 1:08 pm PDT by
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007. The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...
iOS 16

Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to Developers [Update: Public RC Available]

Tuesday March 21, 2023 10:25 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth betas. The RCs mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public in the near future. Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates...
google bard

Google Opens Up Access to Bard AI Chatbot

Tuesday March 21, 2023 4:23 pm PDT by
Google today began allowing users to sign up to use Bard, its AI-powered chatbot that rivals Microsoft's Bing chatbot. First announced back in February, Bard is an experimental conversational AI service for Google Search. Those interested in Bard can join Google's waitlist to get access, and some users have reported getting invitation emails just hours after signing up. There are a long list ...
smart monitor m8 samsung

Deals: Samsung's iMac-Like Smart Monitor M8 Drops to Lowest Price of Year So Far With $250 Discount

Monday March 20, 2023 8:27 am PDT by
Samsung today kicked off a special "Discover Samsung" event, which will be a week-long savings event focusing on Samsung monitors, smartphones, TVs, appliances, and more. While some deals will stick around the entire week (through March 26), others will refresh every day. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...