Recent discussions in India have reignited concerns over government directives affecting smartphone privacy. Following controversy surrounding the mandated pre-installation of the cyber safety app Sanchar Saathi, a new report reveals that the Indian government is now reviewing a telecom industry proposal to require smartphone makers to keep satellite-based location tracking permanently enabled.
According to Reuters, the government has long faced challenges in obtaining precise locations from telecom operators during investigations. Currently, location data relies on cellular tower triangulation, which provides only approximate positioning and can be inaccurate by several meters.
To address this, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents major carriers such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, has proposed that smartphones activate Assisted GPS (A-GPS) continuously. This system combines satellite signals with cellular data to enhance location accuracy. The proposal would make it mandatory for satellite tracking to remain enabled without giving users the option to disable it.
Major smartphone manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, and Google have opposed this mandate. The India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), representing Apple and Google, stated in a confidential July letter that globally, there is no precedent for such device-level always-on location tracking. They further highlighted substantial legal, privacy, and national security concerns, labeling the proposal as regulatory overreach.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro MaxBeyond the A-GPS activation, COAI also criticized current smartphone behaviors where users receive pop-up alerts when network carriers attempt to access location data. The telecom group argued that such notifications allow targets to realize they are under surveillance, urging the government to require manufacturers to disable these alerts.
ICEA pushed back strongly, emphasizing that privacy must take precedence and that disabling location access notifications would be counterproductive.
Reuters noted that a scheduled meeting between India’s home ministry and top smartphone executives to discuss these issues was postponed.
