Amnesty International has expressed serious concerns about India’s plan to require constant satellite location tracking on phones for surveillance purposes. This proposal aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government’s effort to help telecom companies provide more precise location data for individuals under investigation. Telecom operators suggest that enabling permanent location tracking through smartphone manufacturers is the best approach. However, major smartphone companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung oppose this due to privacy and security fears.
Amnesty noted that location data can reveal sensitive personal and professional connections, which could endanger human rights defenders. They criticized the idea of forcing people to disclose more sensitive information, especially in a time of rising surveillance threats. India’s IT and home ministries are currently reviewing the proposal, but they have not commented on the backlash.
Recent privacy debates in India intensified after a government directive to preload a state-run app on smartphones faced strong opposition. Critics, including senior political figures, have questioned the move toward a “Surveillance State. ” Activists likened the tracking proposal to creating “digital ankle monitors” for users.
With information from Reuters
