“Fed up with years of waiting for Apple to implement anti-spam measures for iPhones, India’s telecom regulator TRAI threatened in July to ban iPhones from the country’s cellular networks if Apple didn’t approve a government-developed Do Not Disturb app by January 2019,” Jeremy Horwitz reports for VentureBeat. “With that deadline fast approaching, an Apple spokesperson in India has confirmed that the app become available today in the iOS App Store.”
“The app, titled TRAI DND – Do Not Disturb, promises to help Indian consumers curb unwanted phone calls and text messages — an issue that has become hugely problematic within the country,” Horwitz reports. “Apple wouldn’t allow the app to be released to iOS users, citing privacy concerns, though it agreed to cooperate on a version of the app that wouldn’t share a user’s call or message logs with Indian authorities.”
“It’s unclear whether the version of DND released in the App Store implements additional privacy protections beyond what was originally devised by TRAI,” Horwitz reports. “The registration process appears to leverage the SMS/Call Reporting framework Apple recently introduced into iOS, tying reporting directly into the Phone and Messages applications, and sharing only specific spam content with authorities.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Looks like a workable compromise has been met!
SEE ALSO:
India’s TRAI threatens to ‘derecognize’ iPhones from Indian cellular networks if Apple does not preinstall government anti-spam app – August 9, 2018
India may ban iPhone if Apple keeps fighting TRAI by not allowing DND App in iOS Store – July 20, 2018
Apple accused of ‘anti-consumer’ behavior by Indian regulator – August 8, 2017
Apple’s refusal to approve India’s anti-spam app angers regulators – September 6, 2017
Apple accused of ‘anti-consumer’ behavior by Indian regulator – August 8, 2017
My father wanted to name me appleripper, my mother wanted applecynic.
So they compromised!
Why doesn’t iOS have this feature? You can’t block calls and messages? (Don’t have a phone, and probably never will.)
Are you being serious or facetious in asking that question? If you truly don’t know, I find that hard to believe.
Believe it or not: you CAN block specific phone numbers on an individual basis. It’s been a setting on iPhones for many years with certain carriers.
Example 1: if a crazy ex keeps calling or texting, you can block his or her phone number. But not if they’ve disabled their number from being transmitted through the phone companies’ CIDS (caller ID system).
Example 2: say your phone number (landline or cellphone) is 310-187-3695. Call spammers, originating mostly from India, will use automated computer-based dialers that spoof the phone companies’ caller ID system so that the incoming number on your phone shows 310-187-5288. Later that day or the next day, you receive two calls showing 310-187-6403 and 310-187-2296. No, you can’t call your phone company and ask them to block the 999 phone numbers in the range of 310-187-0001 to 310-187-9999. And, even if they did, the spammers would simply choose another exchange and start again. Because there are enough idiots out there who routinely answer these calls, plus approximately 1% of those who do answer will go on to make a purchase (always fraudulent) from the spammers, it remains profitable which simply keeps the robocalls coming in day after day.
Blame the fraudulent call spammers? Yes.
Blame the idiots who pick up these calls? Yes.
Blame the phone companies worldwide who refuse to even try to do something to reduce spam calling? Yes.
OK, back to important issues – I7 for MBA!
Will it work in US? Our gov’t should take such a stand and/or enact European-like data privacy laws