"You know what they say: If at first you don't succeed at mass government surveillance, try, try again. Only two days after India backpedaled on its plan to force smartphone makers to preinstall a state-run "cybersecurity" app, Reuters reports that the country is back at it. It's said to be considering a telecom industry proposal with another draconian requirement. This one would require smartphone makers to enable always-on satellite-based location tracking (Assisted GPS)."
"The measure would require location services to remain on at all times, with no option to switch them off. The telecom industry also wants phone makers to disable notifications that alert users when their carriers have accessed their location. According to Reuters, India's home ministry was set to meet with smartphone industry executives on Friday, but the meeting was postponed."
"Predictably, proponents claim the plan is about helping law enforcement keep you safe from the bad guys. (See also: Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.) The administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long been concerned that law enforcement agencies can't obtain precise enough locations during investigations. Cell tower data alone can be off by several meters. And hey, what's the privacy of 1.4 billion people next to tracking criminals with an extra 10 ft. or so of accuracy, right?"
India's telecom industry proposes mandating always-on Assisted GPS on smartphones, preventing users from turning off location services. The proposal would also require phone makers to disable notifications that alert users when carriers access their location. Proponents argue the change would help law enforcement obtain precise locations during investigations because cell tower data can be several meters off. Apple, Google, and Samsung oppose the proposal, calling it unprecedented and a regulatory overreach and warning it could compromise security and privacy for 1.4 billion people. A meeting between India's home ministry and smartphone industry executives was scheduled but postponed.
Read at Engadget
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