Tim Cook IndiaApple is at an impasse with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) over the development of an anti-spam iPhone app. The app is meant to allow users to report unsolicited calls and text messages as spam, preventing further spam on their devices (via Reuters).

Last October, Apple first agreed to help India "tap into new iOS features" to build the app, but in the ensuing months Apple is said to have raised concerns over the privacy implications of allowing the app broad access to customers' call and text logs.

Apple and the Indian regulator have "not met since November," and India in January reportedly asked Apple for "basic clarifications" on what the iOS app would be able to offer users. In a statement last week, Apple said that the app remains in ongoing development because as it stands now it "violates the privacy policy of the App Store." Apple plans to keep working with the regulator and India's engineers to "continue discussing ways they can design their app to keep users' personal data safe."

In hopes of moving things along at a faster clip, TRAI head R.S. Sharma has said that he is consulting a legal team to see how Apple could be pushed into a faster development cycle.

“We will take appropriate legal action,” Sharma told Reuters in an interview. “This is unjust, it shows the approach and attitude of this company.” He did not elaborate on what action the regulator might take.

Apple did not comment on Sharma’s remarks, but said that it shared TRAI’s goal of protecting customers from unwanted calls and messages. Apple said it would not modify its guidelines to allow any app access to contacts, see call logs or view text messages as those functionalities violate a user’s data security and privacy.

Prior to the iPhone app, there has been an Android version of India's "Do Not Disturb" app for about two years, requiring users to grant the app permissions to access contacts and view text messages so that users can report spam and telemarketers. For Google's version of the app, the company said that it believes in "the ability of users to make purchasing and downloading choices without top-down enforcement or censorship."

For the next steps with Apple, the company offered to have its technical teams meet with TRAI, but the Indian government is said to be waiting on "more details" from Apple first. Although Sharma threatened legal action, one former TRAI consultant stated that the Apple/TRAI disagreement is "likely to be more of a public relations battle," as opposed to a legal one.

Over the years, Apple has frequently had to balance its beliefs in user privacy and security as they sometimes conflicted with the laws and requests from foreign governments. Notably, last summer Apple removed a majority of VPN apps from the iOS App Store in China, following regulations passed earlier in 2017 that require such apps to be authorized by the Chinese government.

A few days later in an earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated: "We would obviously rather not remove the apps, but like we do in other countries, we follow the law wherever we do business. In this particular case ... we hope that over time, the restrictions we're seeing will be loosened, because innovation requires freedom to collaborate and communicate, and I know that is a major focus there."

Tag: India

Top Rated Comments

Agneev Avatar
98 months ago
As an Indian, thank you Apple for not giving into the demands of our government.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5105973 Avatar
98 months ago
Can’t TRAI introduce legislation to crack down on telemarketers? Hit the source of the problem. Heck, I wish we could make telemarketing illegal in my country (USA). What an invasive nuisance it all is.

I get so many telemarketing calls even on my Apple Watch that has its own phone number and is tied to my iPhone via AT&T number sync. However, those seem to be spoofing legitimate private numbers. I’m not sure how an app or law enforcement could possibly address that issue.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whyamihere Avatar
98 months ago
The irony of India complaining about spam calls is not lost on me. :rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
friednoodles Avatar
98 months ago
The TRAI wants their app to be able to access people's call and text histories, something Apple doesn't allow any app to do (even with the user's permission) - that's what the "dispute" is about. And it's a good stance by Apple, because as we've seen from Facebook on Android, giving apps the ability to access such things (even if it were with the user's permission) is a recipe for abuse.

We've survived just fine on iOS for over 10 years without apps having access to the call and text history, there's no good reason to open up such a dangerous ability now.

One thing I could see Apple potentially doing is introducing a function in iOS that lets you send a selected number (or text) from the phone/messages app to another app for spam reporting. That would be a much better option than giving apps access to the history.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
d5aqoëp Avatar
98 months ago
I hope that Apple and Indian Govt does something fast because we get spam even if we enroll for Full DND.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mwd25 Avatar
98 months ago
The robo calls and number spoofing just need to be banned through legislation. The idea that you need to give an app access to calls AND TEXTS is outrageous. I already have 68 numbers blocked through the Iphones number blocking feature and yet, I still get 2-3 spam calls PER DAY. I can look at my call log and identify the calls that are spam, I dont really need a app for that. What I do need is the calls to be blocked or stopped.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

iPad Mini 8 Rumors: Everything We Know So Far

Monday September 29, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is likely to arrive next year, so here's what to expect. The current iPad mini came out in 2024, with the main upgrade over the previous version being the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support. The previous generation introduced a complete redesign and the A15 Bionic chip. In August, Apple mistakenly shared code that revealed key information about ...