Carrier IQ: How to Stop Android from Spying on You

Carrier IQ: How to Stop Android from Spying on You

Sprint “Disabling Use” Of Carrier IQ On Affected Devices | TechCrunch
@Alice VanOrden Tomasello
Yup check your smartphone for Carrier IQ, it's on there....tracking your every keystroke including all of your passwords unencrypted too. Interesting how they hide the application as well. Scary that you cannot remove this app either.
@Caged Ideas
There really is no clean phone, the problem is the way the networks themselves function. If every tower on the network looked for every phone getting a call there wouldn't be enough bandwidth and would cost too much, so they track every phone real-time to see which towers have the best signal quality to send you your call, data, or texts. As long as your phone is connected to the network, your phones microphone, camera, GPS, and it's contents are available to anyone who wants them. Worse yet your phone is nothing more than an open book to someone with a laptop and an antenna. We've spent years researching the problem and have compiled a series of news reports that clearly lay out the problem, including the fact that turning your phone off doesn't cut it said at the end of the clips by ABC, FOX, Local network affiliates. See for yourself: www.Thecaseforprivacy.com/blogs/news.
@John Fernandez
uh no youre wrong on many levels. and the whole point of this carrier IQ mess is that there is no privacy policy in place outlining the data involved, which clearly violates wiretapping laws.
@Steve Gleitsmann
That’s what happens when start-ups play with fire. The carriers and OEM’s apologize and move on. And the start-up will probably go out of business….
@Amir Rozenberg
I totally agree. They are used as the scapegoat and will be lucky to get bought quickly or somehow (I don't see how) survive. However, wouldn't you agree they took a couple of key wrong decisions? I mean, being user-visible on the phone and not encrypting the transmissions? Enabling user interfaces that don't really work? And if you're already exposed on the phone, why not tell the users what's really going on and why. Just making it very easy to get exposed, and in a goofy way. Sloppy. I'm on the fence regarding the decision to go after the hacker who exposed them. Buy him out, you don't solve the problem, but maybe you buy yourself a couple months and get busy correcting these issues.
@Erica Paige Goodwin
You should also check out the Mobile Year in Review, a recap video of all of this year's mobile trends from this year http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKAIzU90zA8.
@John Rampton
Disabling their use of Carrier IQ software, BULL SHIT.... They just won't get caught this time...
@Peter Daisyme
I couldn't agree more. They are still doing it, they will do more this time not to get caught.
@Amir Rozenberg
If Sprint liked it so much they should do the right thing: A- clean up the global collection of user personal data. They need to know the performance of their network and devices (including which apps/app mixes are giving users a less-than-optimal experience). None of that should include personal user data. B- they should come out publicly and state they are using CIQ and what are their intentions. As much as I don't approve some things CIQ did here, and some of their recent decisions, the carriers and OEMs licensed them to do that. So they need to share as much public criticism as CIQ is getting. It's no different than hiring a thief to steal something for you. C- They should really buy out CIQ. That's the right thing to do. I'm sure the execs will happily bail out for any >$0 number, otherwise they are dead. Not a big investment for Sprint, but certainly CIQ is already on so many phones, there's plenty value there, even with the effort of cleaning up this mess as I mentioned before.