Exclusive: India weighs greater phone-location surveillance; Apple, Google and Samsung protest

Exclusive: India weighs greater phone-location surveillance; Apple, Google and Samsung protest

By reuters.com
Publication Date: 2025-12-05 00:00:00

  • India reviews telecom industry proposal for always-on location tracking
  • Apple, Google, Samsung oppose due to privacy, security concerns
  • No precedent for such device-level location tracking, experts say
  • India this week revoked an order requiring state-run app in phones

NEW DELHI, Dec 5 (Reuters) – India’s government is reviewing a telecom industry proposal to force smartphone firms to enable satellite location tracking that is always activated for better surveillance, a move opposed by Apple, Google and Samsung due to privacy concerns, according to documents, emails and five sources.

A fierce privacy debate erupted in India this week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was forced to rescind an order requiring smartphone makers to preload a state-run cyber safety app on all devices after activists and politicians raised concerns about potential snooping.

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For years, the Modi administration has been concerned its agencies do not get precise locations when legal…