{"id":1303335,"date":"2025-12-06T10:23:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T04:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/?p=1303335"},"modified":"2025-12-06T10:23:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T04:53:41","slug":"govt-wants-every-indian-to-keep-smartphone-location-on-every-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/govt-wants-every-indian-to-keep-smartphone-location-on-every-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"Govt Wants Every Indian To Keep Smartphone Location On, Every Moment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>India\u2019s long-running debate over digital surveillance and user privacy has entered a new and explosive phase. The government is now reviewing a telecom industry proposal to <strong>force smartphone makers to keep satellite-based location tracking permanently switched on<\/strong>, a move the world\u2019s top tech firms say would turn every phone into a \u201csurveillance device\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"601\" src=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.22.20-AM-1024x601.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1303362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.22.20-AM-1024x601.png 1024w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.22.20-AM-300x176.png 300w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.22.20-AM-768x451.png 768w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.22.20-AM-1536x901.png 1536w, https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.22.20-AM-2048x1202.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Proposal: A-GPS Tracking That Cannot Be Disabled<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)\u2014which represents Jio and Airtel\u2014has urged the government to mandate <strong>always-active A-GPS tracking<\/strong> on all smartphones.<br>A-GPS uses both mobile networks and satellite signals, giving authorities <strong>precise, one-meter accuracy<\/strong>, far beyond what telecom tower triangulation can currently offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the proposal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Location services would be <strong>always on<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Users would <strong>have no option<\/strong> to disable tracking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smartphone makers would have to comply through firmware-level changes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This would be a first-of-its-kind mandate anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tech Giants Warn of \u2018Regulatory Overreach\u2019 and Security Risks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple and Google have strongly opposed the proposal in confidential communications with the government, warning that turning phones into always-tracked devices would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Endanger judges, journalists, military personnel, and corporate leaders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Violate global privacy norms<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create unprecedented surveillance capabilities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remove user control and transparency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In a private July letter, the India Cellular &amp; Electronics Association (ICEA)\u2014representing both Apple and Google\u2014said the proposal would be a <strong>\u201cregulatory overreach\u201d<\/strong> and could compromise national security, not strengthen it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis would effectively convert phones into dedicated surveillance devices,\u201d warned digital forensics expert Junade Ali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Scrutiny Intensifies After Sanchar Saathi Backlash<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This debate comes just days after the government <strong>withdrew its controversial order<\/strong> requiring smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all devices.<br>That rollback followed a public outcry over privacy and snooping fears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, the A-GPS proposal is under review by both the IT Ministry and the Home Ministry. A key meeting with smartphone makers, planned to discuss the surveillance implications, was abruptly postponed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Telcos Want the Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Indian agencies often complain that existing tracking tools\u2014dependent on mobile towers\u2014are imprecise and slow. Worse, phones now display alerts such as <em>\u201ccarrier is trying to access your location,\u201d<\/em> allowing suspects to detect when they\u2019re being monitored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Telcos want the government to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Activate precise tracking via A-GPS<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Disable pop-up alerts<\/strong> that warn users during surveillance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Smartphone makers say this would undermine user rights and transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Precedent-Setting Privacy Flashpoint<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If India mandates permanent satellite tracking, it would set a global precedent\u2014one that privacy advocates worldwide are watching with alarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, no final decision has been taken. But the battle lines between <strong>national security<\/strong>, <strong>telecom demands<\/strong>, and <strong>tech-industry privacy standards<\/strong> are clearer than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>India is reviewing a proposal to force smartphone makers to keep satellite-based A-GPS tracking permanently active for precise surveillance, triggering major privacy concerns. Apple and Google oppose the move, calling it unprecedented and dangerous. Telcos argue it\u2019s essential for investigations. The government is evaluating the plan amid wider debates on digital privacy, national security, and user rights following the Sanchar Saathi controversy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2012\/7\/27\/3193343\/gps-vulnerability-hack-track-smartphones-black-hat\">Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India\u2019s long-running debate over digital surveillance and user privacy has entered a new and explosive phase. The government is now reviewing a telecom industry proposal to force smartphone makers to keep satellite-based location tracking permanently switched on, a move the world\u2019s top tech firms say would turn every phone into a \u201csurveillance device\u201d. The Proposal: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":1303362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[908],"class_list":["post-1303335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-govt"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Govt Wants Every Indian To Keep Smartphone Location On, Every Moment - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile &amp; Startups<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/govt-wants-every-indian-to-keep-smartphone-location-on-every-moment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Govt Wants Every Indian To Keep Smartphone Location On, Every Moment - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile &amp; Startups\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"India\u2019s long-running debate over digital surveillance and user privacy has entered a new and explosive phase. 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