Is the Indian government planning to track your phone 24/7? Read our simple breakdown of the new proposal to mandate always-on GPS, why Apple and Google are fighting it, and what it means for your privacy.
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The End of “Location Off”?
Imagine buying a brand-new smartphone. You unbox it, set it up, and go to the settings to turn off your location to save battery or protect your privacy. But when you tap the button, nothing happens. The switch is gone. Your phone is broadcasting your exact position to the network, every second of the day, and you cannot stop it.
This sounds like a scene from a sci-fi movie, but it might soon be a reality for smartphone users in India. The Indian government is currently reviewing a controversial proposal that could force companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google to change how their phones work. The plan? To make satellite-based location tracking “always-on” for every smartphone sold in the country.
This idea has sparked a massive debate between the government, telecom operators, and the world’s biggest technology companies. On one side, authorities argue they need better tools to catch criminals. On the other side, tech giants and privacy experts warn that this could turn every citizen’s phone into a permanent surveillance device.
Let’s break down exactly what is happening, why it is being proposed, and how it could change the way you use your phone forever.
What is the Government Considering?
The core of this issue lies in a proposal sent by the telecom industry to the Indian government. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents major telecom players like Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, has suggested a significant technical change.
Currently, when the police or security agencies want to track a suspect, they ask telecom operators for location data. The operators use “cell tower triangulation” to find the phone. This method looks at which mobile towers the phone is connected to. It is useful, but it is not very precise. It can tell you which neighborhood a person is in, but not which house or street corner. It can be off by several hundred meters.
The new proposal wants to switch to A-GPS (Assisted GPS) tracking. This technology uses satellites combined with mobile data to pinpoint a phone’s location with incredible accuracy—often within just a few meters.
Here is the catch: For this to work effectively for surveillance, the proposal suggests two major changes:
- Mandatory Always-On Tracking: Smartphone makers would be required to disable the option for users to turn off GPS/location services completely. The phone would always be “visible” to the network.
- No More Warnings: Currently, modern phones (especially iPhones and Androids) are very protective of user privacy. If a mobile network tries to access your precise location in the background, the phone often pops up a warning saying, “Carrier is trying to access your location.” The proposal wants these warnings removed so that suspects do not know they are being tracked.
A quick look at India’s proposed always-on phone tracking rule
| Topic | Key Points |
|---|---|
| What’s being proposed | Telecom operators want phones in India to keep GPS active at all times and remove the option to turn it off. They also want phones to stop showing alerts when networks request precise location data. |
| Why it’s being considered | Authorities say they need faster and more accurate tracking to handle kidnappings, terrorism cases and emergency response. They argue that current pop-ups alert suspects and slow investigations. |
| Why tech companies object | Apple, Google and Samsung say this would break user privacy, create security risks for journalists, officials and executives, and force India-specific phone software that no other country requires. |
| Impact on users | People would lose control over location settings, face possible battery drain and get no warnings about background tracking. |
| Current status | The government is reviewing the proposal and has not approved it. The debate continues over how to balance safety and privacy. |
Why Do They Want This? The Case for Safety
Why would the government and telecom companies want such a strict rule? The primary argument is national security and crime prevention.
Law enforcement agencies have long complained that current tracking methods are outdated. In a world where criminals use sophisticated technology, the police feel they are fighting with one hand tied behind their back.
Here are the main reasons driving this review:
- Catching Criminals Quickly: In cases of kidnapping, terrorism, or serious theft, time is everything. Finding a suspect’s exact location instantly could save lives.
- The “Alert” Problem: Security agencies argue that the current privacy alerts on phones are actually helping criminals. If a suspect sees a pop-up saying the carrier is checking their location, they know they are being watched. They might dump the phone or change their location immediately. The agencies want “stealth” tracking that goes unnoticed.
- Emergency Response: Accurate, always-on location could theoretically help emergency services (like ambulances or fire trucks) find people in distress much faster, even if the person cannot speak or describe their location.
The Big Pushback: Why Apple, Google, and Samsung Are Worried
While the goals of safety and security are understandable, the proposed method has set off alarm bells at the headquarters of the world’s biggest tech companies. Apple, Google, and Samsung have reportedly pushed back hard against this idea.
Their concerns fall into three main categories:
1. The Privacy Nightmare
These companies have spent years building trust with users by promising that “what happens on your phone, stays on your phone.” If they are forced to build a “backdoor” for constant tracking, that trust is broken. They argue that this would effectively turn every smartphone into a spying device. It wouldn’t just be criminals who are tracked—every law-abiding citizen would essentially have a GPS tag in their pocket that they cannot control.
2. Security Risks for VIPs
The tech giants have pointed out a specific danger for sensitive individuals. If a system exists to track anyone, anywhere, without their knowledge, it becomes a target for hackers and bad actors.
- Journalists: Reporters working on sensitive stories could be tracked by people who want to silence them.
- Judges and Military Officials: Their movements could be monitored, putting their safety at risk.
- Business Leaders: Corporate spies could track executives to guess their next business move.
In a confidential letter to the government, an industry body representing these companies warned that this move could actually harm national security by exposing these key figures to risk.
3. “Regulatory Overreach”
This is a fancy way of saying, “No other country does this.” The tech companies argue that mandating always-on tracking is unprecedented globally. India would be an outlier. These companies design their phones for a global market. Forcing them to create a special, less-secure version of their operating system just for India is technically difficult and expensive. They fear it sets a dangerous example that other countries might copy.
What Does This Mean for You (The Regular User)?
If this proposal becomes law, the changes to your daily life would be invisible but significant.
- Loss of Control: You would no longer be the master of your own device. Even if you want to “go off the grid” for a camping trip or just for peace of mind, your phone would continue to broadcast your location.
- Battery Drain: GPS is one of the biggest battery hogs on a smartphone. While technology has improved, keeping high-precision satellite tracking active all the time could noticeably reduce your battery life.
- No Transparency: Currently, your phone looks out for you. It tells you when an app or service is being “nosy.” If this rule passes, your phone will no longer be allowed to warn you when the network is tracking you. You would have no way of knowing if, when, or how often your location is being logged.
Conclusion
The Indian government is currently in a “review” phase. They are listening to the telecom operators and the tech giants, and no final law has been passed yet. This comes right after another controversy where the government withdrew a plan to force a specific government app on all phones, showing they are sensitive to public opinion.
This situation represents the classic modern struggle: Security vs. Privacy.
We all want to live in a safe country where criminals are caught quickly. But we also want to live in a free society where we aren’t watched every second of every day. Finding a middle ground—perhaps allowing tracking only with a court warrant, rather than a blanket “always-on” rule—might be the solution. For now, the “off” switch on your location settings is still there. But the debate over whether it stays there is just beginning.
Source: Always-On Phone Tracking Proposal Under Govt Review; Apple, Samsung and Google Raise Concerns & Govt mulls always-on phone location tracking, Apple and Samsung push back over privacy: Report
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