Carrier IQ has become the buzz lately, but not for good reasons. It all started when a researcher named Trevor Eckhart posted evidence that Carrier IQ logs every text message, Google search, and phone number typed and reports back to the phone carrier. Shortly after, Carrier IQ sent a cease and desist letter to Eckhart claiming he violated copyright law by publishing Carrier IQ training manuals online. Eckhart didn’t back down as he enlisted the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group, which resulted in Carrier IQ backing off their legal threats.
What is Carrier IQ? They market themselves to carriers as a program that can “measure performance and user experience with no visible impact to customers.” Eckhart found that in his HTC device, the program not only recorded information about app activity and battery life, but also records when users press any key on the phone along with text messages. The information is then sent back to Carrier IQ’s servers. Why would Carrier IQ need to record such information if all they’re trying to do is improve users’ experiences by collecting data on dropped calls, signal quality, and other troubleshooting problems? At least this is what they told Wired.
This is all being done without permission from the consumers and there is no way to turn it off unless you are rooted. If it weren’t for Eckhart, nobody would even know about it. Eckhart recently released a video showing how Carrier IQ records this information.
So now what? Well you can check to see if your phone has Carrier IQ with this tool from Trevor Eckhart. What about the carriers? Verizon, US Cellular, Vodafone, and O2 deny using Carrier IQ. Google Nexus Phones are clean as well as the original Motorola XOOM. T-Mobile has decided to pass the buck by saying they never asked for Carrier IQ, so if its there it isn’t their fault. Sprint and AT&T have admitted to using it. As to manufacturers, HTC and Samsung have admitted to using Carrier IQ. RIM has a “pass the buck” attitude as well, but Windows phones appears clean. Apple has instituted Carrier IQ in the past, but has abandoned it with iOS 5.
Now Senator Al Franken is chiming in. As chairman of the Senate’s subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and Law, he gave Carrier IQ until December 14th to explain itself, but now is concentrating his questioning to the companies that admit to using it like Sprint, AT&T, HTC, and Samsung. He wants to know why it’s being used and what is being tracked.
Carrier IQ just released a press statement defending itself. In it they state:
Privacy is protected. Consumers have a trusted relationship with Operators and expect their personal information and privacy to be respected. As a condition of its contracts with Operators, CIQ operates exclusively within that framework and under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction. The data we gather is transmitted over an encrypted channel and secured within our customers’ networks or in our audited and customer-approved facilities.
Below is the full press release:
Carrier IQ Updates Statement: Operators Use Carrier IQ Software Only to Diagnose Operational Problems on Networks and Mobile Devices
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To clarify misinformation on the functionality of Carrier IQ software, the company is updating its statement from November 23rd 2011 as follows:
“Having examined the Carrier IQ implementation it is my opinion that allegations of keystroke collection or other surveillance of mobile device user’s content are erroneous”
We measure and summarize performance of the device to assist Operators in delivering better service.
While a few individuals have identified that there is a great deal of information available to the Carrier IQ software inside the handset, our software does not record, store or transmit the contents of SMS messages, email, photographs, audio or video. For example, we understand whether an SMS was sent accurately, but do not record or transmit the content of the SMS. We know which applications are draining your battery, but do not capture the screen.
“Having examined the Carrier IQ implementation it is my opinion that allegations of keystroke collection or other surveillance of mobile device user’s content are erroneous,” asserts Rebecca Bace of Infidel Inc. a respected security expert.
Privacy is protected. Consumers have a trusted relationship with Operators and expect their personal information and privacy to be respected. As a condition of its contracts with Operators, CIQ operates exclusively within that framework and under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction. The data we gather is transmitted over an encrypted channel and secured within our customers’ networks or in our audited and customer-approved facilities.
Carrier IQ is aware of various commentators alleging Carrier IQ has violated wiretap laws and we vigorously disagree with these assertions.
Our software makes your phone better by delivering intelligence on the performance of mobile devices and networks to help the Operators provide optimal service efficiency.We are deployed by leading Operators to monitor and analyze the performance of their services and mobile devices to ensure the system (network and handsets) works to optimal efficiency. Operators want to provide better service to their customers, and information from the device and about the network is critical for them to do this. While in-network tools deliver information such as the location of calls and call quality, they do not provide information on the most important aspect of the service – the mobile device itself.
Carrier IQ acts as an agent for the Operators. Each implementation is different and the diagnostic information actually gathered is determined by our customers – the mobile Operators. Carrier IQ does not gather any other data from devices.
CIQ is the consumer advocate to the mobile operator, explaining what works and what does not work. Three of the main complaints we hear from mobile device users are (1) dropped calls, (2) poor customer service, and (3) having to constantly recharge the device. Our software allows Operators to figure out why problems are occurring, why calls are dropped, and how to extend the life of the battery. When a user calls to complain about a problem, our software helps Operators’ customer service more quickly identify the specific issue with the phone.
Stay tuned because this is not the end of the story, but I presume the end of Carrier IQ, which is a good thing.
[via washington post, gizmodo, theverge, huffingtonpost]