Apple adds privacy control to limit carrier location tracking

Apple has introduced a new security feature this week that limits the precision of location data that iPhones and cellular-enabled iPads share with cell carriers. According to Apple, the feature limits the precision of location data that these devices share with the customer’s cell carrier. The feature makes it more difficult for law enforcement, spies, and malicious hackers to obtain a person’s precise location data from their phone provider. Apple noted that switching on the feature does not affect the precision of location data shared with apps, nor does it impact the location data shared with first responders during an emergency call.

The new security feature is supported on select hardware models, specifically the iPhone Air, the iPhone 16e, and the iPad Pro (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, running the iOS 26.3 operating system. To utilize the feature, users must be on a supported network. It is currently available on a handful of global carriers, including Telekom in Germany, AIS and True in Thailand, EE and BT in the United Kingdom, and Boost Mobile in the United States.

Mobile security experts have highlighted the significance of the update. Gary Miller, a mobile security expert who serves as a researcher at Citizen Lab (a research organization) and senior director of network intelligence at iVerify (a security company), explained that users have historically lacked control over network-level tracking. Miller noted that most people do not realize their devices can transmit location data outside of standard applications. “While [the devices] can limit GPS disclosure at the app level, they haven’t been able to lock down precise location disclosure to the network,” Miller said. He described Apple’s feature as a step in the right direction for giving users greater privacy controls, even though it is currently limited to a small number of operator networks.

The update arrives amid broader concerns regarding long-known vulnerabilities in global cellular networks, which have historically allowed surveillance vendors to snoop on the location data of individuals. Additionally, several U.S. phone giants, including AT&T and Verizon, have recently confirmed persistent intrusions by China-backed hackers, dubbed Salt Typhoon. These hackers have targeted the communications of senior American officials, seeking phone call logs and messages.

Why it matters

The new feature addresses long-standing vulnerabilities in cellular networks that allow surveillance vendors and hackers to track individuals’ precise location data via their phone providers.