Apple has not outrightly refused to comply with the order issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), but the company has stated that it cannot simply remove the betting apps and make them unavailable in India without valid reasons.
Apple argues that since betting apps are legal and valid in other countries, it would be challenging for the company to remove them in India. However, the government has requested Apple to explore ways to implement the order.
After MeitY issued the order to ban betting apps, Apple executives held a meeting with ministry officials in March. The Cupertino-based tech giant is currently in the process of scrutinizing the apps to ensure that only problematic or malicious players in the ecosystem are taken down.
In the interim, Apple has already taken down some of the apps, while it continues to work on finding the “best possible solution” for other apps, as per the report.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed MeitY to ban and block a total of 232 apps, including 138 betting apps and 94 online lending apps, which either originated from or had connections to China. These apps were found to be in violation of Section 69 of the IT Act, and officials believed that they contained material that posed a threat to the country’s sovereignty and integrity.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) advised media entities, platforms, and online advertising intermediaries to refrain from carrying advertisements or promotional content related to betting platforms.
In connection with money laundering investigations involving online gambling platforms, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized INR 212.91 Cr until December 2022.
As the discussions continue between Apple and the Indian government, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and what actions will be taken regarding the availability of betting apps on the Apple App Store in India.
