Government Weighs Mandatory Satellite-Based Location Tracking in Phones: What It Means for Android, iPhone Users in India

The Indian government is reportedly considering a proposal to mandate satellite-based location tracking on all smartphones, requiring devices to keep location services permanently activated. This move, aimed at improving surveillance and investigative capabilities of the government, has sparked a privacy debate and drawn strong opposition from Apple, Google, and Samsung, who argue that it would compromise user privacy and amount to regulatory overreach.​

Under the current system, authorities rely on cellular tower data, which can only provide a rough estimate of a user’s location, often with an error margin of several meters. Reuters reported that the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing major carriers like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, has proposed activating Assisted GPS (A-GPS) technology on all phones, which would allow authorities to track users within about one meter. This would mean users could not disable location services, and smartphone makers would be required to remove pop-up warnings that notify users when their location is accessed by carriers.​

Apple and Google’s industry group, the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), has warned that this measure would be unprecedented globally and could erode user control over their own data. The group highlighted that disabling pop-ups would undermine transparency and trust, and that such a system could put sensitive users, including military personnel, judges, and journalists, at risk.​

At present, no final policy decision has been made by the IT or home ministries. The proposal is still under review, and a scheduled meeting with industry executives was recently postponed. Technology experts and privacy advocates have described the plan as turning smartphones into “dedicated surveillance devices,” with some calling it “pretty horrifying” and noting that similar measures have not been adopted elsewhere in the world.​

The debate over mandatory satellite tracking is part of a broader conversation in India about digital privacy and surveillance. While the government cites law enforcement needs, critics emphasise the risks to individual privacy and the potential for misuse of such data. It shortly follows the government's order to mandatorily preload Sanchar Saathi, a state-run cybersecurity app, on all new smartphones, which, after severe criticism from the opposition, citizens, and privacy advocates, was rolled back earlier this week.

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