Apple Seeks Clarity from Indian Government on Removal of Betting Apps from App Store
Apple Inc. has reportedly requested the Indian government to provide a ‘concrete reason or a legal requirement’ for the removal of betting and gambling apps from its App Store, according to a report by Economic Times. This development comes in response to the directive issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in February, which demanded the removal of such apps from the App Store in India.
While Apple has not outrightly refused to comply with the directive, it has expressed its inability to ‘arbitrarily’ remove these apps. The tech giant has explained that these betting apps, while banned in India, are legal and valid in other countries, making their outright removal from the App Store a complex issue.
The Indian government has asked Apple to explore options to execute the directive. A source quoted by The Economic Times stated, “It (Apple) contended that since these apps are valid and legal in other geographies, it would be difficult for (Apple) to bar them outright in India.”
Earlier this year, MeitY had released a list of 138 gambling and betting apps that were banned in India. While Google has complied and removed these apps from its Play Store, several of these apps are still available for download on the App Store for iOS users.
Apple is reportedly in the process of ‘vetting’ these apps to ensure that only ‘wrong or bad players’ are removed from the ecosystem. The company has temporarily removed a few apps that were prohibited by the IT ministry in February.
The Indian government has reiterated its request to Apple to ensure that no application on the App Store facilitates gambling or betting in India. Apple’s App Store guidelines acknowledge that gaming, gambling, and lotteries often fall under strict regulatory frameworks and advises developers to thoroughly examine their legal obligations before adding such functionalities.
In other news, Apple is gearing up for its annual WWDC event on June 5, where it is expected to announce iOS 17, a new MacBook Air, and more.
Source:Business Today
