The Indian government intends to enforce the use of satellite positioning monitoring, Apple and other three major mobile phone manufacturers have jointly opposed.

According to documents, emails, and five sources, the Indian government is reviewing a telecom industry proposal that aims to mandate smartphone manufacturers to enable satellite tracking for more effective monitoring. This move has been opposed by Apple Inc. (AAPL.US), Alphabet Inc. Class C (GOOGL.US), and Samsung, citing privacy concerns. This week, the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to withdraw an order that mandated smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a state-owned network security application on all devices, following concerns from activists and politicians about potential surveillance. For years, the Modi government has been concerned that its agencies are unable to obtain accurate location information when issuing investigation orders to telecom companies. Under the current system, these companies can only use mobile tower data that can provide only approximate location information with a margin of error of several meters. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has proposed that precise user location information can only be provided if smartphone manufacturers enable Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) technology (which uses satellite signals and mobile data) upon government request. This proposal was made based on an internal email from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in June. This would require smartphones to always have GPS services turned on, with users unable to turn off this feature themselves. Three sources familiar with the discussions have stated that Apple Inc., Samsung, and Alphabet Inc. Class C have informed the Indian government that this requirement should not be enforced. A measure aimed at tracking device-level location has no precedent anywhere in the world, and the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) representing Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Class C stated in a confidential letter in July that this requirement should not be enforced. The letter stated, "A-GPS network services...(are not) deployed or supported for monitoring locations." It also pointed out that this measure would be a form of regulatory overreach. "A device specifically for surveillance" A source familiar with the matter stated that the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs had scheduled a meeting with senior executives from the smartphone industry on Friday to discuss this issue, but the meeting has been postponed. As of now, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Home Affairs have not made any policy decisions. Utilizing A-GPS technology - which is usually only activated when certain applications are running or during emergency calls - can provide authorities with precise location data accurate enough for trackers to locate users within a range of about one meter, according to technical experts. Junade Ali, a digital forensics expert at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said, "This proposal would turn phones into specialized surveillance devices." Cooper Quintin, a security researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, stated that he has not heard of a similar proposal elsewhere and described it as "quite scary." Governments around the world typically seek new ways to better track the movements and data of mobile phone users. Russia has mandated the installation of a government-supported communication application on all phones in the country. Conflict between Indian telecom companies and smartphone manufacturers By mid-2025, India is the second largest mobile market globally, with 735 million smartphones. According to Counterpoint Research, Alphabet Inc. Class C's Android system holds over 95% of the market share in these devices, while the remaining devices use Apple Inc.'s iOS system. In a letter in July, the lobbying group ICEA for Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Class C stated that the telecom group's proposal raises "serious legal, privacy, and national security concerns." They warned that the proposed user group would include military personnel, judges, corporate executives, and journalists, and added that the proposed tracking of locations could endanger their security as they hold sensitive information. The telecom group stated that even traditional methods of location tracking are problematic, as smartphone manufacturers would prompt users with a message box informing them that the "operator is trying to access your location information." The telecom group argued that the target would easily discern that they are being tracked by security agencies, and called on the government to order smartphone manufacturers to disable this pop-up function. In a letter to the Indian government in July, Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Class C stated that privacy concerns should be paramount, and India should not consider disabling pop-ups. They believe that this would "ensure transparency and control over users' own location information."