While India’s government pulled its demand for a preinstalled iPhone app, it’s now accused of previously considering a more privacy-eroding move for always-on satellite location tracking.
A graphic Apple created for the launch of its online Apple Store in India in 2020 – Image credit: Apple
A graphic Apple created for the launch of its online Apple Store in India in 2020 – Image credit: Apple
At the start of December, India’s government backed down from an order for Apple and other smartphone manufacturers to preinstall a state-owned cybersecurity app. While it faced intense scrutiny and claims that it was a bad move for citizen privacy, it seems a far more intrusive plan has also been under consideration.
According to sources of Reuters, India has thought about a telecom industry proposal to require smartphone producers to enable satellite location tracking. It is to be kept active, so as to better improve surveillance efforts.