The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has been unsuccessful in getting its Do Not Disturb accepted in the App Store. The software would allow users to share spam calls and text messages with the agency, which would then use the data to block spammers from mobile networks, reports Bloomberg. However, Apple says the app violates its privacy policies, so won’t approve it. It’s a move that could cause serious headaches for Apple–and reveals just how strict the company is at approving apps.
For a while now Apple has been trying to increase its foothold in the smartphone marketplace in India by opening retail stores there and being granted permission to sell used iPhones imported into the country. Surely shutting out a government app aimed at protecting Indian consumers isn’t going to endear anyone in the government to Apple’s plight. As Ram Sewak Sharma, chairman of the telecom regulator, said, “Nobody’s asking Apple to violate its privacy policy. It is a ridiculous situation–no company can be allowed to be the guardian of a user’s data.”
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