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India Ponders Always-On Smartphone Location Tracking
The government of India wants better surveillance of its citizens. Always-on smartphone location tracking is being opposed by firms like Apple, Google and Samsung.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents Reliance's (RELI.NS), opens new tab Jio and Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS), opens new tab, has proposed that precise user locations should only be provided if the government orders smartphone makers to activate A-GPS technology - which uses satellite signals and cellular data - according to a June internal federal IT ministry email.
(Via Reuters.)
As far as I know, the earliest mention of this idea that I can find the "radiant" from Jack Vance's excellent 1954 novel The Houses of Iszm. When Aile Farr, an Earthman visiting Iszm, he was told that he would be required to be implanted with a tracking device.
Farr drew back. "What's this?"
"A harmless radiant."
"I don't need any."
"It is necessary," said the medic, "for your own protection. Most visitors hire boats and sail out upon the Pheadh. Occasionally there are storms, the boats are blown off course. this radiant will define your position on the master panel."
Farr is not very happy about the idea, as I imagine most of us would feel if told that this was an entry requirement for a foreign country.
For years, the Modi administration has been concerned its agencies do not get precise locations when legal requests are made to telecom firms during investigations. Under the current system, the firms are limited to using cellular tower data that can only provide an estimated area location, which can be off by several meters.
Eventually the medics, shaking their heads glumly, returned Farr to the outer chamber, where he was met by an Iszic in a tight white and gray uniform, carrying a hypodermic.
(Read more about the radiant)
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