India’s authorities is reviewing a telecom trade proposal to drive smartphone corporations to allow satellite tv for pc location monitoring that’s at all times activated for higher surveillance, a transfer opposed by Apple, Google and Samsung on account of privateness issues, in response to paperwork, emails and 5 sources.
A fierce privateness debate erupted in India this week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authorities was compelled to rescind an order requiring smartphone makers to preload a state-run cyber security app on all units after activists and politicians raised issues about potential snooping.
For years, the Modi administration has been involved its companies don’t get exact areas when authorized requests are made to telecom corporations throughout investigations. Below the present system, the corporations are restricted to utilizing mobile tower information that may solely present an estimated space location, which will be off by a number of meters.
The Mobile Operators Affiliation of India (COAI), which represents Reliance’s Jio and Bharti Airtel, has proposed that exact consumer areas ought to solely be offered if the federal government orders smartphone makers to activate A-GPS know-how – which makes use of satellite tv for pc indicators and mobile information – in response to a June inside federal IT ministry e mail.
That will require location providers to at all times be activated in smartphones with no possibility for customers to disable them. Apple , Samsung and Alphabet’s Google have advised New Delhi that shouldn’t be mandated, mentioned three of the sources who’ve direct information of the deliberations.
A measure to trace device-level location has no precedent anyplace else on the earth, lobbying group India Mobile & Electronics Affiliation (ICEA), which represents each Apple and Google, wrote in a confidential July letter to the federal government, which was considered by Reuters.
“The A-GPS community service … (is) not deployed or supported for location surveillance,” mentioned the letter, which added that the measure “could be a regulatory overreach.”
‘DEDICATED SURVEILLANCE DEVICE’
Story continues under this advert
India’s house ministry had scheduled a gathering of prime smartphone trade executives to debate the matter on Friday but it surely was postponed, a supply with direct information of the matter mentioned. On Thursday, Reuters despatched questions associated to this matter to the ministry.
India’s IT and residential ministries, that are each analysing the telecom trade’s proposal, didn’t reply to Reuters queries.
Apple, Samsung, Google, Reliance and Airtel didn’t reply to requests for remark. Foyer teams ICEA and COAI additionally didn’t reply.
At this level, no coverage resolution has been made by the IT or house ministries.
Story continues under this advert
Benefiting from A-GPS know-how – which is often solely turned on when sure apps are operating or when emergency calls are being made – might present authorities with location information exact sufficient {that a} consumer will be tracked to inside a couple of meter, in response to know-how consultants.
“This proposal would see telephones function as a devoted surveillance gadget,” mentioned Junade Ali, a digital forensics professional related to Britain’s Establishment of Engineering and Expertise.
Cooper Quintin, a safety researcher on the U.S.-based Digital Frontier Basis, mentioned he had not heard of any such proposal elsewhere, calling it “fairly horrifying.”
Governments worldwide routinely search new methods to raised monitor cellphone customers’ actions or information. Russia has mandated the set up of a state-backed communications app on all cell phones within the nation.
Story continues under this advert
TELCOS VS SMARTPHONE FIRMS
India is the world’s second-biggest cellular market with 735 million smartphones as of mid-2025, the place Google’s Android powers greater than 95% of the units, with the remaining utilizing Apple’s iOS, Counterpoint Analysis says.
Apple and Google’s foyer group, the ICEA, argued of their July letter that there are important “authorized, privateness, and nationwide safety issues” with the proposal from the telecom group.
It warned their consumer base would come with individuals from the army, judges, company executives and journalists, including that proposed location monitoring risked their safety on condition that they maintain delicate data.
Even the previous manner of location monitoring is turning into problematic, the telecom group mentioned, as smartphone makers present a pop-up message to customers, alerting them that their “provider is attempting to entry your location.”
Story continues under this advert
“A goal can simply confirm that he’s being tracked by safety companies,” mentioned the telecom group, urging the federal government to order cellphone makers to disable the pop-up options.
Privateness issues ought to take precedence and India must also not take into account disabling the pop-ups, Apple and Google’s group argued in its July letter to the federal government.
This can “guarantee transparency and consumer management over their location.”