Apple Inc has agreed to help the Indian government develop an anti-spam mobile application for its iOS platform, after first refusing to do so saying it may harm the privacy of its users, Reuters reported.
For more than a year, Apple has been locked in a tussle with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, which asked the company to help develop an app to allow iPhone users report unsolicited marketing texts and calls. The government app was launched on Google’s Android platform in 2016, but Apple said it was concerned that such an app with access to call and text logs would compromise customers’ privacy, Reuters quoted unidentified officials as saying.
The anti-spam mobile application, Do Not Disturb, has more than a lakh downloads on the Google Play Store. When the app launches, it first asks users to allow access to contacts and view text messages. Users can then start reporting numbers as spam.
In October, Apple executives met government officials in New Delhi and agreed to help develop the app, but with limited capabilities, a government official said. An Apple spokesperson confirmed the news, but said Apple has not changed its stance on privacy.
Trai Chairperson RS Sharma told Reuters he was unhappy with Apple for not responding swiftly to the government’s request. “We’ve told them they are harming their consumers,” he said.
Apple has not responded to the government’s criticism, but said it took time to develop a privacy-friendly solution. Trai maintains that the app does not raise any privacy concerns.
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