Have mobile? Uncle Sibal wants to know exactly where you are

Not a man to do things by halves, Communications Minister Kapil Sibal now wants to play Big Brother. Not content with putting the fear of god in the social media for hosting unwholesome content, he now wants to make sure every Indian knows he means business. He wants to know exactly where every mobile user in at any given moment.

According to a report in The Indian Express (read full story here) , amendments have been made to the licences of mobile operators under which, after 31 May, they will have to provide “real-time details of users’ locations in latitudes and longitudes.”

And just in case you think this is about tracking alleged terrorists or suspicious characters, perish the thought. While this is the initial objective, mobile companies have been told that in three years’ time, location details have to be provided for any user.

Says the Express report: “The information will have some margin of error at first. But by 2013, at least 60 percent of the calls in urban areas would have to be accurately tracked when made 100 metres away from the nearest cell tower. By 2014, the government will seek to increase the proportion to 75 percent in cities and 50 per cent in suburban and rural areas.”

Uncle Sibal wants to know where you are. So watch what you say or do with your mobile.