[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Carrier IQ Tracking: Your Questions Answered here

[BarronMertens]

I have read everything I could find on this topic and I cannot find anything concrete about Carrier IQ on Blackberry except the phrase "Carrier IQ support Blackberry ....". Does anyone out there have any proof the Carrier IQ is actually running on any/all Blackberry devices?

[BobCl]

This has finally pushed me over the edge on privacy. I dislike being tracked on the internet, but at least Google and Yahoo acknowledge what they're doing, why they're doing it, and provide a service in exchange. This is pure intrusive, parasitic malware that should be immediately removed and all collected data destroyed. Even if the data was collected anonymously, it was collected without permission and, in my view, constitutes theft by deception.

[StevenStamps]

Here is the ONLY question that I think is important...

"Can Carrier IQ GUARANTEE that NO DATA collected by their software will be provided to ANY entity in response to ANY request; including court orders." Without that guarantee, THERE IS NO PRIVACY.

The problem is that, once the data is collected, it CAN be obtained by interested parties (spouses, nosy governments, competitors, News of the World) JUST BECAUSE IT EXISTS!

[Nuke61]

BarronMertens, on 01 December 2011 - 07:28 AM, said:

I have read everything I could find on this topic and I cannot find anything concrete about Carrier IQ on Blackberry except the phrase "Carrier IQ support Blackberry ....". Does anyone out there have any proof the Carrier IQ is actually running on any/all Blackberry devices?

Per RIM...

Quote

Here's the full statement from RIM:
RIM is aware of a recent claim by a security researcher that an application called “CarrierIQ” is installed on mobile devices from multiple vendors without the knowledge or consent of the device users. RIM does not pre-install the CarrierIQ app on BlackBerry smartphones or authorize its carrier partners to install the CarrierIQ app before sales or distribution. RIM also did not develop or commission the development of the CarrierIQ application, and has no involvement in the testing, promotion, or distribution of the app. RIM will continue to investigate reports and speculation related to CarrierIQ.
Read more: http://www.businessi...2#ixzz1fIoUQiH3

[crosswordbob]

FWIW, while it does exist on iOS, it seems it can be killed by disabling the "Diagnostics and Usage" option. What a number of places have neglected to mention is where that is: Settings->Location Services->System Services->Diagnostics and Usage (on iOS 5). I believe this option doesn't exist pre iOS 5, but not sure whether that means it defaults to on or off.

[Rodrumm]

I have an HTC Droid for sale...CHEAP! This kind of "tracking" must end. Give me privacy over performance any day.

[VeryWonkalicious]

Did anyone else notice the "we give Wireless Carriers and Handset Manufacturers unprecedented insight into their customers' mobile experience."

Sounds like a play on words to me.

[FloppyEaredRabbit101]

"Carrier IQ says its software does not record keystrokes, and does not inspect or report the content of your SMS messages or e-mail. Carrier IQ also said it does not provide tracking tools and does not sell the data it collects to third parties"

Well, the first part is patently false. The video clearly shows every keystroke being logged, even supposedly encrypted data.

Irrespective of what Carrier IQ claims they do with the data, such data collection is illegal and fraudulent.

[peterpaulmary1553]

I hope this spawns a "Call to Arms" within the electronic community... until ALL CODE (provided by the carrier or MFG) on a particular Smartphone is open source with the ability if the end-user to be able to recompile this code to load into their device there is no telling what kind of spyware/rootkit crap really lives in your phone.
I'm sure this 'Carrier IQ' isn't the first and certainly won't be the last... but having smartphones tracking, doing banking, possibly even listening in (in active conversations, or when idle) recording and transmitting(or even sharing) this info (to/with unknown parties) is simply not acceptable (unless your a big fan of the movie "1984").

Hopefully there are people that will take up this cause. These spyware/rootkits on mobiles, make even TOR and other security measures useless for personal and use in the enterprise - where (?) personal data can now being recoded and possibly sold to the highest bidder, or merely made available for some smart hacker that wants to mess with you/ruin your life.

This is unacceptable...

This post has been edited by peterpaulmary1553: 01 December 2011 - 12:15 PM

[Pdude]

IQ's actions speak volumes. As soon as this INDIVIDUAL posted his findings, they immediately tried to silence and squash him with threats of legal action. Once a "big brother" came to help(EFF), they backed right down and even offered an apology.

This stinks to high heaven and I think(hope) it's just the beginning of the inquiry. IMHO, if ANY of my privacy has been compromised by this, I'm waiting for the big, fat LAWSUIT filed on behalf of ALL Android users!

I think we'll see how far this goes back to the manufacturers as well and if the FCC truly has any teeth.

[KMZydhek]

I find it interesting that just two weeks ago I rooted my Samsung Epic 4G and installed a ROM that also happened to remove CarrierIQ... And since then, my phone has been more stable and faster than ever before. Some of this can be attributed to the replacement ROM, some to removal of Sprint's bloatware... but how much is attributable to getting rid of a known keylogger?

[LiveBrianD]

At least online there are ways to block online tracking that aren't too difficult. Here, well, since you can't remove it or opt-out of it, and people aren't even told of this, well... Carrier IQ is just a complete [censored].

[CharleneSchlueter]

Interesting. Even though everything I've read today says Verizon denies Carrier IQ is installed on its phones, I just got an Android update notification that says "This software update includes extremely important security updates for your DROID by Motorola." Coincidence???? Hummm.

[oldschoolh4ck3r]

Pdude, on 01 December 2011 - 01:33 PM, said:

IQ's actions speak volumes. As soon as this INDIVIDUAL posted his findings, they immediately tried to silence and squash him with threats of legal action. Once a "big brother" came to help(EFF), they backed right down and even offered an apology.

This stinks to high heaven and I think(hope) it's just the beginning of the inquiry. IMHO, if ANY of my privacy has been compromised by this, I'm waiting for the big, fat LAWSUIT filed on behalf of ALL Android users!

I think we'll see how far this goes back to the manufacturers as well and if the FCC truly has any teeth.

I completely agree!

[TheOldTopkick]

So far, as near as I can tell, this article only tells what the program can do. This not the same as what it is doing. There are companies out there who have demonstrated in the past a "lack of civic virtue" I can't imagine any of them passing up an opportunuty such as this.

[athnam]

I think people's ire is a bit misplaced, or at lesat, they're fogetting the biggest culprit--the carriers are the ones embedding this software. Carrier IQ wouldn't even exist if there weren't a market for it, and the carriers are providing plenty. I think it's the carriers we need to blame more than Carrier IQ. After all, look at all the other lies and deceptions they've pulled in the past, e.g. at&t trying to buy t-mobile, overage charges, data charges for accidental button presses, etc., etc. They're just a bunch of bandits, all of them, with our money and our data!

[SmilingCarcass]

This is misleading. Carrier IQ supplies the software. The handset maker decides what the software will do and collects the data.

Don’t misunderstand me. One of the reasons I don’t own a smartphone is because of intrusions, and in my view they are wrong to do so without an opt out option or to make the software opt in.

How legal this is may depend on the T & C’s you signed up to when you bought your smartphone. (You did read them, didn’t you?).

Just as a balance, there is an excellent piece of independent research here-

http://vulnfactory.o...the-real-story/

[deepsand]

So many hastily arrived at conclusions posted here, with so very few facts in hand.