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The Indian authorities are presently reviewing a controversial suggestion from the telecommunications sector that would require smartphone manufacturers to activate “always-on” satellite location tracking.
This initiative has ignited considerable dissent from prominent technology firms, including Apple, Google, and Samsung, who contend it presents grave privacy and security dilemmas.
The suggestion was introduced by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which advocates for key telecom entities like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
It proposes that the government should mandate smartphone developers to keep A-GPS (Assisted GPS) technology constantly on.
At present, law enforcement bodies depend on data from mobile towers to track individuals. However, this approach only furnishes an approximate location that can be several meters off.
The telecom firms argue that requiring A-GPS to be permanently active would yield the accurate location data crucial for criminal probes.
Conversely, tech giants strongly oppose this view. Through their lobbying entity, the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), Apple, Google, and Samsung have officially relayed their apprehensions to the government.
In a private correspondence, the group cautioned that such a measure would be unparalleled worldwide and represents “regulatory overreach.”
The primary worry revolves around privacy. Experts alert that A-GPS technology is precise enough to pinpoint a user within a mere meter.
Should this regulation be enacted, it would essentially transform each smartphone into a “dedicated monitoring device,” as per digital forensics specialists.
The technology companies also underscored national security concerns, highlighting that the devices of military personnel, judges, and business leaders would be equally susceptible to this continual surveillance. This discourse emerges at a precarious moment for digital privacy in India.
Just days earlier, the government was compelled to rescind an order that insisted smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government-operated cyber safety application.
According to Reuters, following severe backlash from activists and politicians regarding potential spying. No conclusive decision has been reached as of yet. The proposal is under examination by India’s IT and home ministries.
Technology firms are advocating for the government to emphasize user transparency, warning that eliminating existing protections, such as pop-up alerts when location is accessed, would deprive users of authority over their own data.
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