Yes, the major public clouds offer a lot. But what you may not know are the limitations, and how open clouds make the difference. Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021. Besieged by spam calls and messages, Indian smartphone users have waited years for Apple to allow a government-developed spam-fighting solution onto iPhones. Now India’s government is giving Apple and its carrier partners a January 2019 deadline for compliance with a new anti-spam regulation, or else iPhones will be blocked from the country’s cellular networks. As India Today reports, Indian telecom regulatory agency TRAI has spent years dealing with smartphone spam complaints, going so far as to self-develop an app called Do Not Disturb (DND) to stop spammers. But while Google permitted the DND app to be downloaded from the Google Play Store starting in 2016, Apple has refused to allow it into the iOS App Store on privacy grounds, as it accesses a user’s call and message records. Now TRAI is requiring that all Indian telecom companies enable all smartphone users in the country to install the latest version of DND, called DND 2.0, on their Android or iPhone devices. A new regulation published yesterday sets a six-month deadline for implementation, which would be Saturday, January 19, 2019, and requires telecoms to “derecognize” non-conforming devices from their networks at that point. Apple looked to be moving forward on the issue over the last year, though it apparently wasn’t willing to accept the Indian government’s earlier demands without pushback. The Indian edition of the Huffington Post says that Apple agreed to cooperate with TRAI on building the DND app last October, but wouldn’t share call and message logs. In June, Apple debuted iOS 12 with the ability to report unwanted calls and text messages from within the Phone and Messages apps, but the feature — dubbed “Unwanted Communication” — doesn’t appear to be active in iOS 12 betas. It may be included and exclusive to India and TRAI, but if that were the case, TRAI probably wouldn’t have issued a new regulation. Given Apple’s public statements that it complies with the laws of every country where it does business, it’s fair to assume that it will work quickly with Indian authorities to implement the spam filter and avoid the ban. Doing so might even benefit the company’s iPhone business, which has reportedly stagnated over the past year due to cultural and leadership issues, despite Apple’s efforts to build local factories and reduce iPhone prices within the country. Three top Apple India executives reportedly quit in the past week for reasons unknown. Indian customers are said to receive a daily average of between five and ten spam calls and as many messages. If Android users have access to the DND app and iPhone users do not, Apple might inadvertently be giving spammers the upper hand with its users, undermining the “premium experience” generally marketed for its devices.<doc-sep>iPhones Face Ban In India Over DND App -Apple vs TRAI Battle Gets Worse! This was something which we never expected. iPhones, the iconic, expensive and world renowned brand can be banned in India. The ban, or rather ‘derecognition’ of iPhones by TRAI and all telecom networks can actually happen in the next 6 months, in case Govt. of India accepts TRAI’s latest recommendations pertaining to spam calls. Apple has already indicated that they may take legal course, if this ‘derecognition’ actually takes place. TRAI: We Will Derecognize Any Handset Which Fails To Follow Rules! TRAI has just released The Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation, 2018, and sought public opinions on the “proposed to curb the problem of unsolicited commercial communication,”. This is mainly regarding the issue of unwanted calls and spam texts. The draft showcases and proposes an array of regulations, which if implemented, can immensely benefit the end user. However, in between, there TRAI has mandated that use of their DND app, on every smartphone being used in India. Launched in 2016, this app records each and every call, and creates a database of spams, tele-callers and other such services. Now, as per the regulations proposed, TRAI wants that any handset maker which doesn’t follow the rules, and install DND App, needs to be ‘Derecognized’ by the telecom operators. Or in other words, face ban. This is what the proposed regulation says: “Every Access Provider shall ensure, within six months’ time, that all smart phone devices registered on its network support the permissions required for the functioning of such Apps as prescribed in the regulations 6(2)(e) and regulations 23(2)(d); Provided that where such devices do not permit functioning of such Apps as prescribed in regulations 6(2)(e) and regulations 23(2)(d), Access Providers shall, on the order or direction of the Authority, derecognize such devices from their telecom networks.” If this proposal is implemented, then it is quite obvious that Apple’s iPhones may face ban, and will be unusable in India. Apple has already informed TRAI has their newest iOS 12 will have the ability to block spam messages and calls, but it seems it’s not enough for TRAI. Apple May Take Legal Action Against TRAI Right from the start, Apple has refused to follow TRAI’s orders, and refused to install their DND app on their iPhones. TRAI has even called Apple as ‘anti-consumer’ because of this refusal. Attempts of ceasefire has already been made, and Apple has suggested some alternate ways to TRAI. TRAI has already ‘threatened’ Apple with legal action on this issue. But now, this battle have become worse with TRAI’s proposal regarding spam calls: iPhones are facing a ban, and this is indeed serious. Insiders at Apple have suggested that TRAI cannot force telecom operators to ban a particular handset, and as per hints received, Apple can opt for legal route against TRAI as well. We will keep you updated, as we receive more information on this issue. Image: iphonedigital from Flickr<doc-sep>It's a fight that is going on for some time. Apple, the maker of the iPhone, and TRAI, the agency that regulates telecom networks in India, are in middle of a bitter fight over the matter of SPAM calls and messages. Now, with a new regulatory policy TRAI has hinted that if Apple doesn't step back and allows a TRAI app on the iPhone, it is possible that the agency may ask telecom companies like Airtel, Vodafone and Jio to delist and deregister the iPhone from their networks. The issue is related to an app that TRAI has created. The agency has made an app called DND -- now called DND 2.0 after the latest update -- but Apple has refused to allow this app in the iOS App Store. Apple believes that the TRAI app, because it seeks the call and message records of a user, is a privacy risk. It is worth noting that Apple takes the privacy of iPhone users fairly seriously and tightly controls the access and data that apps want from users. Google, the maker of Android, has more loosely-created guidelines around the apps accessing private data of users. The DND app is available to Android users and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, although it has a poor rating. On Thursday, TRAI published new regulations mandating that all smartphone users in the country should be able to install the DND 2.0 app on their phones, whether they are using an iPhone or an Android phone. The regulations, suprisingly, need to be followed by telecom companies and not the phone makers, who do not fall under the purview of TRAI. "Every Access Provider shall ensure, within six months' time, that all smart phone devices registered on its network support the permissions required for the functioning of such Apps as prescribed in the regulations 6(2)(e) and regulations 23(2)(d)," TRAI notes in its regulatory document. "Provided that where such devices do not permit functioning of such Apps as prescribed in regulations 6(2)(e) and regulations 23(2)(d), Access Providers shall, on the order or direction of the Authority, derecognize such devices from their telecom networks." Ouch! In other words, if Apple continues to resist DND 2.0 app from TRAI, and does not permit it entry in the iOS App Store, all the iPhones in India may lose access to 3G, 4G or even basic telecom networks. While the TRAI directive looks stark, it is also possible that some middle ground will be found. The problem here is actually no problem, because whatever TRAI is trying to do and what Apple is proposing is basically same. They both seemingly want best for their users. TRAI wants to curb spam calls and messages on the phones, and Apple too is seemingly fighting for the same. But Apple also doesn't want to dilute the kind of privacy -- which is better than what Android phones offer to their users -- that the iPhone users have. And the company is very clear that it cannot allow any app, even the one created by a government agency, to access call and message logs. Apple is touchy about privacy and in the past it defied the US government when FBI sought help from Apple engineers in unlocking iPhone belonging to San Bernardino shooter. But it is possible that the upcoming iOS 12 can be the middle ground. In the iOS 12, Apple has put in new features that use smart algorithms and machine learning to identify and block spam messages. It is also possible that Apple may get an exception from TRAI and the Indian government for DND 2.0 by showing them that the iPhone already reduces spam with the iOS 12.<doc-sep>Under the new regulations, if Apple doesn’t comply with TRAI’s requirements, then all the carriers within the country will be asked to withdraw support of their services from the iPhone. For the past few months, the debacle between the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Apple has been on a constant rise over the issue of the Do Not Disturb app by TRAI. The matter has now escalated to serious levels, with TRAI looking to withdraw iPhone’s license from the country, if the revised rules and regulations are to be considered. TRAI (source 1, 2, 3) has recently unveiled its revised regulations, under which any Access Provider will need to provide access to apps that are required by the regulations to be made available for installation on smartphone platforms. “Every Access Provider shall ensure, within six months’ time, that all smartphone devices registered on its network support the permissions required for the functioning of such Apps as prescribed in the regulations 6(2)(e) and regulations 23(2)(d),” states the TRAI directive. Adding to that, TRAI mentions, “Provided that where such devices do not permit functioning of such Apps as prescribed in regulations 6(2)(e) and regulations 23(2)(d), access providers shall, on the order or direction of the authority, derecognize such devices from their telecom networks.” The app in question here is the DND app 2.0 prescribed TRAI for all smartphone platforms in India. The telecom authority wants to have consumers have an option to filter and block all marketing as well as promotional calls. The app has been reported to require access to various parameters and information of the device, i.e. it detects calls or messages and helps TRAI collect data on who is sending them and for what purpose. While Google complied with TRAI’s directive by allowing the app on the Google PlayStore, rival Apple hasn’t allowed it on the App Store, citing the app’s requirement for access to the device information as a breach of user’s data privacy. While TRAI has been pursuing Apple to get the app on the App Store, Apple has stuck on its promise of safeguarding the user’s data, no matter what happens. Under the new regulations, if Apple doesn’t comply with TRAI’s requirements within six months, then its complete range of iPhones will be banned in the country, i.e. all the carriers within the country will be asked to withdraw support of their services from the iPhone. This could lead to Apple losing out entirely on the smartphone front from the rivals. Additionally, it would cripple millions owning and depending solely on an iPhone as their daily driver. Therefore, if Apple wants to keep its innings open in India, it will need to make an arrangement in which the both the government’s and the consumer’s interests stay protected. Apple is yet to make an official statement in this regard. Also Read: Apple matter, Trai recommendations on data ownership separate issues: Sharma Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.<doc-sep>
India threatens iPhone ban if Apple doesn’t accept regulator’s anti-spam app The last few years have seen Apple expanding into India with the iPhone, but now the company is facing a serious problem if it doesn’t cater to the demands of the country’s telecom regulator. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has put new rules in place in an effort to protect mobile users’ privacy and block spam calls and messages. Part of this policy involves making an app available to every subscriber, but Apple refuses to allow it on the App Store, ironically, due to privacy concerns. The regulator requires that all carriers in India make TRAI’s “Do Not Disturb” app available for users to download and install on their device. The app then gives users the ability to report unsolicited calls and messages. Apple has not allowed it on their App Store, however, due to the fact that the app requires access to call history and message logs in order to send reports to the agency. While Apple has been butting heads with TRAI for over a year now, the regulator has moved forward with the policy, giving all carriers six months to make sure the app can be installed on every device they offer. Any phones that can’t install the app after that period will be cut off from the carrier’s network. As for Android, the app is already available via Google’s Play Store. “Every Access Provider shall ensure, within six months’ time, that all smart phone devices registered on its network support the permissions required for the functioning of such Apps as prescribed in the regulations 6(2)(e) and regulations 23(2)(d). Provided that where such devices do not permit functioning of such Apps as prescribed in regulations 6(2)(e) and regulations 23(2)(d), Access Providers shall, on the order or direction of the Authority, derecognize such devices from their telecom networks.” Almost a year ago it was reported that Apple would work with TRAI to develop its own version of the regulator’s anti-spam app, but there’s been no update on the effort since then, so it’s anyone’s guess if the app can be finished within six months or it’s been abandoned altogether. The upcoming iOS 12 update also includes new features for reporting calls and texts as spam, but it’s not clear if that will compatible with TRAI’s own system or if they’ll be able to access that data. SOURCE India Today