Exclusive: India considers expanding phone-location surveillance; Apple, Google, and Samsung express opposition.

NEW DELHI, Dec 5 Indias government is evaluating a proposal from the telecom sector that would require smartphone manufacturers to enable always-on satellite-based location tracking to enhance monitoring capabilities. Documents, emails, and multiple sources indicate that Apple, Google, and Samsung are opposing this measure over privacy concerns.

The debate over digital privacy intensified in India after the government withdrew an order that would have required all smartphones to come with a state-run cybersecurity app preinstalled, following objections from activists and lawmakers who feared intrusive surveillance.

For years, Indian authorities have expressed concern that existing telecom procedures do not provide sufficiently precise location data when legally requested. Current systems rely on cellular tower signals, which offer only approximate locations and can be inaccurate by several meters.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing major carriers including Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, proposed that smartphone makers should provide exact locations only if ordered to activate Assisted GPS (A-GPS), which combines satellite and cellular data. According to a June internal email from the federal IT ministry, this would mean location services would always be on and could not be disabled by users.

Apple, Samsung, and Alphabets Google have communicated to Indian authorities that such a mandate should not be imposed, sources familiar with the discussions said. Lobby group India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), representing Apple and Google, described the proposed measure as unprecedented and an overreach in a confidential letter to the government in July.

A-GPS services are not designed for surveillance purposes, the letter stated, warning that enforcing always-on location tracking would turn smartphones into dedicated surveillance devices. Experts echoed the concern, noting that enabling continuous A-GPS could allow authorities to pinpoint users within roughly a meter.

Indias home ministry had planned a meeting with top smartphone executives to address the proposal, but it was postponed. Requests for comment from the IT and home ministries, as well as from Apple, Samsung, Google, Reliance, Airtel, ICEA, and COAI, went unanswered.

The Indian smartphone market, the second-largest globally with 735 million devices as of mid-2025, is dominated by Android, which runs on over 95% of phones, with iOS accounting for the remainder. Lobby groups representing Apple and Google highlighted legal, privacy, and national security risks in their July letter, emphasizing that users include military personnel, judges, executives, and journalists who handle sensitive information.

The telecom industry also criticized current location notifications that alert users when their carrier tries to access location data, arguing that such transparency allows targets to realize they are being tracked. Apple and Google countered that user awareness and control over location settings are essential to safeguard privacy.

No formal policy decision has been made yet regarding the proposal, which would significantly expand government access to precise user location data.

Author: Lucas Grant