5 December 2025
India’s government is examining a controversial proposal from the telecom industry that would require smartphone manufacturers to keep satellite-based location tracking permanently activated to strengthen surveillance capabilities.
The proposal argues that always-on tracking would help law-enforcement agencies swiftly locate suspects, missing individuals and high-risk targets. Telecom operators say the current system, which allows users to limit or deny location access, restricts authorities’ ability to respond in emergencies.
However, the plan has drawn firm resistance from major smartphone companies — including Apple, Google and Samsung — over serious privacy and security concerns. These companies fear that mandatory, continuous location data could expose users to misuse, hacking or unwarranted monitoring.
The tech firms have urged the government to protect existing privacy safeguards and avoid measures that undermine user trust. They argue that such tracking mandates would contradict modern data protection norms and could erode India’s digital rights framework.