Always-On GPS Tracking Plan Sparks Privacy Storm: Big Tech vs Telcos in India

New Delhi –— How long will it take for citizens to shake off the fear that their phones could soon become round-the-clock tracking devices?

Even as the debate over the government-backed Sanchar Saathi app was unfolding, another far more consequential proposal was quietly brewing in the background—this time not directly from the government, but from India’s telecom operators. Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, now the country’s three surviving private telecom players, have suggested a radical change: make satellite-based location tracking permanently active on every smartphone in India.

The proposal, currently under review by the Ministry of Home Affairs, has ignited a fierce battle between telecom companies and global technology giants such as Apple, Google and Samsung. At the heart of the conflict lies a single question with massive implications: should every smartphone in India be permanently trackable, regardless of user consent?

According to telecom operators, the request stems from operational challenges faced during criminal investigations. Law enforcement agencies routinely seek location data of suspects, but telecom firms say they can currently provide only approximate locations—accurate within a radius of 100 to 150 metres—because such data is derived from cellular towers. “This margin of error affects investigations, especially when fugitives or serious crimes are involved,” operators have argued in internal communications.

Their solution: mandate device-level AGPS (Assisted Global Positioning System), which uses satellite signals combined with network data, allowing near-real-time tracking accurate to a few metres. Crucially, they want AGPS to remain switched on at all times, with no option for users to disable it.

Tech companies are pushing back hard.

In a confidential letter sent last week to industry bodies and accessed by multiple sources, representatives of Apple and Google have described the proposal as “a dangerous regulatory overreach” and “a direct violation of fundamental constitutional rights.” The letter warns that no country in the world mandates always-on AGPS tracking at the device level—not even nations often accused of pervasive surveillance.

“AGPS was never designed as a surveillance tool,” the letter states. “Mandating permanent activation would expose judges, military officials, corporate leaders and ordinary citizens to real-time tracking, creating severe national security and privacy risks.”

One senior digital rights expert described the plan as “turning the smartphone into a dedicated government-ready spying device, voluntarily carried by citizens.” The expert added, “This is not about tracking criminals selectively. This is about making 1.4 billion people trackable by default.”

Telecom firms have advanced another argument to support the proposal: transparency alerts. Currently, users often receive pop-ups when a carrier accesses location data, a practice required for accountability. According to operators, these notifications can “tip off criminals.” Their suggested fix? Remove pop-ups altogether.

Apple and Google have rejected this outright. “Removing user alerts undermines transparency and accountability,” one company executive said. “It’s anti-consumer and dangerous.”

The broader implications worry privacy advocates even more. India still lacks a comprehensive surveillance law. Intelligence and monitoring agencies are not directly accountable to Parliament, and the government has exempted itself from key provisions of data protection laws. Against this backdrop, critics argue that permanent GPS tracking would concentrate unprecedented power in the hands of the state.

“This isn’t targeted surveillance with checks and balances,” said a constitutional lawyer. “This is pre-emptive mass tracking, justified in the name of undefined ‘national security.’”

The concern is not hypothetical. The unresolved Pegasus spyware controversy continues to loom large. Despite Supreme Court intervention and the formation of an investigative committee, the public remains in the dark about whether Pegasus was used against Indian citizens and to what extent. “When past surveillance questions remain unanswered, trust erodes,” the lawyer added.

Beyond privacy, there are practical concerns. Always-on GPS would significantly drain smartphone batteries, potentially reducing usage time from 10–12 hours to as little as two or three hours. Devices could overheat, and users would lose control over a fundamental setting of their own phones.

Meanwhile, parallels are being drawn with other government initiatives. With Aadhaar linked to mobile numbers, SIM cards connected to identities, and proposals emerging to track vehicles via GPS instead of RFID, critics warn of a rapidly expanding surveillance ecosystem. “Phone, car, identity—everything connected, everything traceable,” said one policy analyst. “That’s the textbook definition of a surveillance state.”

The government, for now, maintains that no final decision has been taken. Officials confirm that proposals from telecom operators are “under consideration” and that a meeting scheduled on Friday was postponed. “There is no approved mandate at this stage,” a senior official said, urging restraint.

But the global tech industry is watching closely. If implemented, India would become the first country in the world to enforce permanent, non-optional GPS tracking on smartphones. For many, that distinction is less about leadership—and more about a line that, once crossed, cannot easily be uncrossed.