New Delhi, December 5, 2025 – India’s government is examining a controversial proposal from the telecom sector to mandate always-activated satellite-based location tracking on smartphones, enabling precise surveillance down to a meter. The plan, pushed by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) representing giants like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, aims to address limitations in current cellular tower data, which often errs by several meters during investigations.
This comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration retracted a directive requiring pre-installation of the state-run Sanchar Saathi app on all devices, following outcry over potential mass snooping from activists, politicians, and tech firms.
Apple, Google, and Samsung have vehemently opposed the new measure, citing unprecedented privacy invasions, security risks, and regulatory overreach. In a confidential letter, the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), representing these companies, warned of “legal, privacy, and national security concerns,” arguing it could endanger sensitive users like military personnel and journalists.
Experts label the idea “horrifying” and without global precedent, turning phones into dedicated surveillance tools. No final decision has been made by India’s IT or home ministries, but a planned industry meeting was postponed. The debate highlights tensions in the world’s second-largest smartphone market, with over 735 million devices, where Android dominates and privacy battles intensify.