Apple May Have to Enable Always-On GPS in India

Source: MacRumors

India reviews proposal to require always‑on GPS on iPhones

Proposal overview

India is reviewing a proposal that would require Apple to keep GPS location services permanently active on every iPhone sold in the country, according to Reuters. Under the proposal, smartphone makers including Apple would be required to activate satellite‑assisted GPS on their devices at all times, even when the user has not explicitly enabled location services. The move is part of a broader effort by the Indian government to improve emergency response capabilities and curb the misuse of location‑based services.

Intended benefits

The proposal, first reported by Reuters, suggests that the always‑on GPS feature could help authorities locate missing persons more quickly and assist in disaster‑relief operations.

Privacy concerns

However, it has raised concerns among privacy advocates who argue that mandatory continuous tracking could infringe on user privacy and set a precedent for other forms of surveillance.

Apple’s response

Apple has not yet commented publicly on the proposal. In the past, the company has resisted similar government mandates that it believes could compromise user privacy, such as requests to create backdoors for encryption.

Government background

The Indian government has previously introduced legislation requiring certain smartphone manufacturers to embed emergency SOS features and share location data with law‑enforcement agencies under specific circumstances. This new proposal would extend those requirements to include constant GPS activation.

Next steps

Stakeholders, including industry analysts and consumer rights groups, are expected to weigh in during the public consultation period, which is slated to run for several weeks. The outcome of the review could have significant implications for how global tech companies design privacy and security features for the Indian market.