Apple is speaking with Chinese telecommunications companies to identify ways the device maker could reduce spam messages that are received through iMessage.

This move to collaborate with telecoms comes after more than a week’s worth of berating and accusations from Chinese state-controlled media outlets over the company’s alleged lack of effort to ban prohibited content like gambling, pornography, and promotions for counterfeit goods and devices.

According to Reuters, this recent flurry of Chinese negative media reports isn’t the first for Apple. This slew of attacks may be the result of a new campaign by state media to encourage companies to clean up the amount of spam messages people receive in the country. Spam calls and messages have become an increasingly universal issue, with efforts by the Federal Communications Commission in the US to decrease the unsolicited messages. In China, however, unwanted illegal calls and messages are far more pervasive.

A spokesperson for Apple confirmed to Reuters that the company was working to develop new ways to reduce spam by using machine learning to help identify and block the accounts that are sending the messages. It’s obvious that these new efforts are first aimed to qualm Chinese complaints, but if this new technology is effective, it wouldn’t be too surprising to expect Apple to bring it in other markets across the world as well.

Source: the verge