India’s government is currently reviewing a proposal from the telecom industry to require smartphone manufacturers to enable always-on satellite location tracking (A-GPS) on devices, a move opposed by major tech companies including Apple, Google, and Samsung due to privacy and security concerns.

The proposal has sparked a heated debate over privacy rights in India, following the recent revocation of an order that had mandated a state-run cybersecurity app to be preloaded on all smartphones, which activists and politicians said could enable state surveillance.

Background: Current Location Tracking in India

Currently, Indian authorities rely on cellular tower data to track users when legal requests are made to telecom companies during investigations. This method provides only approximate locations, which can be off by several meters.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing carriers such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, proposed that authorities could obtain precise user locations if smartphone manufacturers were required to activate A-GPS technology at all times, rather than only during app use or emergencies.

“This would effectively force smartphones to operate as dedicated surveillance devices,” said Junade Ali, a digital forensics expert at Britain’s Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Tech Companies Push Back

Apple, Google, and Samsung have communicated to the Indian government that mandatory always-on location tracking should not be implemented, citing significant legal, privacy, and national security concerns.

In a confidential letter viewed by Reuters, the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), representing Apple and Google, stated:

“The A-GPS network service … is not deployed or supported for location surveillance. Implementing this would constitute regulatory overreach.”

Experts say there is no global precedent for device-level, always-on location tracking mandated by governments. Cooper Quintin, a researcher at the U.S. Electronic Frontier Foundation, described the proposal as “pretty horrifying.”

Privacy and Security Concerns

The tech companies warn that mandatory tracking could jeopardize sensitive groups, including military personnel, judges, corporate executives, and journalists, exposing them to risks if their locations were continuously monitored.

The COAI also raised concerns about current smartphone features, noting that carriers’ attempts to access location data often trigger pop-ups notifying users. They urged the government to allow disabling of these notifications, a measure opposed by Apple and Google to maintain transparency and user control.

Government Deliberations

India’s IT and Home Ministries are reviewing the proposal but have not yet made any policy decisions. A scheduled meeting with top smartphone executives was postponed.

India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market, with 735 million devices as of mid-2025, where Android powers over 95% of phones, and Apple’s iOS accounts for the remainder.

While global governments have sought various methods to monitor mobile devices—such as Russia mandating state-backed apps—India’s proposed always-on A-GPS tracking would be unprecedented in scale and scope.