Do Not Disturb App Made Apple Almost Stop Distributing iPhones In India

Jyotis - Dec 04, 2018

Apple iPhones will be probably banned in India if the company doesn’t approve Do Not Disturb app.

Apple iPhones will be probably banned in India if the company doesn’t approve Do Not Disturb app. This is a message Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) sent to the Cupertino-based tech giant.

As we can see, Apple is always conducting strict censorship and careful about each app available in its App Store. This is clearly Apple’s wise act to attract users and confirm its unique position in the global smartphone market.

However, what Apple has done sometimes makes the company face a few unexpected troubles. The case of Do Not Disturb app (or DND app) is a typical example.

Do Not Disturb app is developed by the Indian government to prevent unexpected calls and SMS of telemarketers from spamming consumers. The app will report to the telecom service providers whose services are being used by consumers.

The reason behind Apple’s protestation against the DND app is due to its concerns about users’ data being illegally exploited. Also, the issue “registration of mobile number under DND will take up to 7 days” needs considering.

At the beginning of 2018, TRAI gave Apple an ultimatum with two only choices: approve Do Not Disturb app on its App Store or stop the distribution of iPhones in the Indian market. The deadline Apple had to give the final answer will allegedly be January 2019.

Privacy of users is always the top priority of Apple and its CEO Tim Cook. This can be seen easily through Apple’s removal of a series of apps that violate its terms and conditions regarding users’ privacy. More particularly, in recent times, the tech company has eliminated 700 apps out of the Chinese version of its App Store.

However, as per the DND app, everything is different. This app is now available on Apple’s App Store, and users can download it free anytime. Why does Tim Cook make an exception for the Indian market? It may be due to Apple’s great interest in this market in a few recent years. Another exciting thing is that Android users have been using the DND app for over two years.