Hook
You are in an auto-rickshaw heading home from a late-night shift or a friend's place. The driver takes a turn that feels 'off'. Your first instinct is to open a safety app or share your 'live location' on WhatsApp with your best friend. It feels like a digital shield, but have you ever wondered who else is watching that little blue dot? While these apps can be lifesavers, they also create a detailed map of your life—where you live, where you study, and where you hang out. Safety shouldn't require you to hand over your entire digital identity to a company that might sell it to the highest bidder.
What the law actually says
In India, your digital privacy is no longer a grey area. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 (published by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology at meity.gov.in) governs how apps handle your location data.
Under this law, any app you use for safety is considered a 'Data Fiduciary'. This means they have a legal obligation to protect your data. Key protections include:
- Notice and Consent: The app must tell you exactly what data they are collecting (e.g., precise GPS coordinates) and why. You must give 'clear, specific, and informed' consent.
- Purpose Limitation: If you gave an app permission to track you for 'emergency safety', they cannot legally use that data to show you ads for a nearby cafe or sell your movement patterns to a data broker.
- Right to Erasure: You have the right to ask the app to delete your location history once you stop using the service.
Furthermore, if someone uses a GPS tracking app to monitor you without your consent, it constitutes stalking. Under Section 78 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, monitoring the use by a woman of the internet, email, or any other form of electronic communication (which includes GPS tracking) is a punishable offence. If you find an unauthorised tracker on your phone or vehicle, you should immediately How to file an FIR (and what to do if police refuse).
Regarding cyber-safety, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, requires platforms to have a grievance officer you can contact if your data is misused. If your location data is leaked or used to harass you, you must report it via the Cyber Crime reporting portal.
Step-by-step playbook
Using GPS for safety is a balance between utility and privacy. Follow this guide to set up a 'privacy-first' safety net.
1. Audit your current permissions
Don't wait for an emergency to check your settings.
- What to do: Go to your phone's Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager > Location.
- The Rule: Change app permissions from 'Always Allow' to 'Allow only while using the app'. This prevents 'zombie tracking' where an app records your location even when it's closed in the background.
- Timeline: 5 minutes. Do this today.
2. Prioritise OS-level features over third-party apps
Before downloading a random 'Women's Safety' app from the Play Store, use the tools built into your phone's operating system (Android or iOS). These are generally more private because they don't rely on selling your data to third parties.
- Android (Emergency SOS): Go to Settings > Safety & Emergency. Set up 'Emergency SOS'. You can trigger this by pressing the power button 5 times. It can send your location and a recording to your trusted contacts and emergency services (112).
- iOS (Safety Check): Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check. This allows you to quickly stop sharing your location with people or apps if you feel unsafe.
- Expected Result: Your location is shared only with people you trust, not a third-party server.
3. Use 'Temporary' sharing for daily commutes
If you are just heading home, use end-to-end encrypted sharing.
- WhatsApp Live Location: This is encrypted. Open a chat with a trusted person > Attach > Location > Share Live Location. Choose the shortest duration needed (e.g., 1 hour).
- Google Maps: Tap your profile picture > Location Sharing. You can set it to turn off automatically after a certain time.
- What to bring/upload: Ensure your 'Trusted Contacts' are updated with their current mobile numbers.
4. Create a 'Safe Word' protocol
GPS can fail in basements, high-rise buildings, or areas with poor network (common in many Indian cities). Data shows GPS accuracy can vary by up to 10-20 metres in dense urban areas.
- What to do: Agree on a 'safe word' with a friend or family member. If you text this word, they know to call the police or come to your last known location immediately.
- Timeline: Immediate.
- If it fails: If your phone dies or the GPS signal drops, your trusted contact should have a 'Plan B'—like calling your workplace or the last person you were with.
5. Periodically wipe your 'Digital Breadcrumbs'
Even if you use safety apps correctly, they store a history of your movements.
- What to do: Every month, go to your Google Account > Data & Privacy > Location History and delete old entries. If using a specific safety app, check the 'Privacy' or 'Account' settings to find a 'Delete History' or 'Clear Data' option.
- Expected Timeline: 10 minutes once a month.
6. Dealing with tech-enabled harassment
If you suspect someone has installed a 'stalkerware' app on your phone to track you:
- Check for signs: Sudden battery drain, phone heating up, or data usage spikes.
- Action: Use a 'Safety Check' (on iPhone) or look for 'Device Admin Apps' in Android settings. If you find an app you didn't install, do not delete it immediately if you want to use it as evidence for an FIR. Take screenshots first.
- Support: If this situation is causing you extreme anxiety, reach out to Mental health helplines (iCall, Vandrevala, NIMHANS).
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