The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is set to collaborate with Apple to resolve the ongoing deadlock concerning the introduction of its Do Not Disturb (DND) application to Apple’s iOS Store. Apple removed the app from its store in September last year due to privacy concerns, despite Trai rules mandating penalties for device manufacturers restricting access to the DND app. Earlier suggestions of canceling the registration of Apple devices will not be pursued, according to senior officials, and they anticipate a resolution in the coming months.
Trai operates the National Customer Preference Registry, previously known as the National Do Not Call Registry. This registry enables users to opt out of unsolicited commercial communication (UCC). The DND app empowers consumers to report UCC within three days of receipt. In a bid to combat the surge in UCC, Trai updated the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (TCCCPR-2018), implementing stricter norms to curb UCC. Access providers were instructed to ensure customers stop receiving UCC within 24 hours of official complaints, with orders to ‘derecognize’ devices impeding DND app installations.
The matter sparked uncertainty over millions of Apple devices in India, with Apple contending that it doesn’t grant app developers access to user call and message logs, a prerequisite for the DND app. Officials affirmed ongoing discussions with Apple and acknowledged the impracticality of sudden device deregistration due to potential public inconvenience. Apple maintained over 6% of India’s smartphone market share at the end of the July-September quarter, experiencing record shipments and notable year-on-year growth.
The DND app boasts an intelligent spam detection engine, crowdsourcing data on offending messages and calls, and offers updates on complaint resolutions. While available on the Google Play Store, it has faced criticism for bugs and glitches. Officials assured the swift resolution of these issues and announced accessibility for all Android users by March next year. Additionally, the DND app can be accessed via the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) App.
Spam calls and messages have escalated, prompting Trai to receive 904,000 complaints against unregistered telemarketers in 2022. These rules mandate disconnection and blacklisting of telemarketing connections for up to two years on the third violation. The surge in spam-related issues has been notable, with 2022 complaints surpassing those in 2021 and 2020, signifying the heightened problem following the Covid pandemic. Consumers can utilize the DND registry to selectively block UCC from specific categories, addressing concerns about unwanted commercial communications.
