Article: Carrier IQ Android, Symbian and BlackBerry Spyware Records Everything Users Do, No Easy Way to Disable

[Atari800]

ModMyi : Apple, iPhone and iPad News so........ let's remove this already. put it in an off topic forum, not headline news

This story is on other news outlets.
Quit putting your fingers in your ears, closing your eyes and going "lalalalalalalalalalala"
This is pretty serious - like it or not

Regardless Android or iOS .. This being done is wrong

[smooth22]

Yes i hear the govenment are using our devices to spy on us, by using the microphones in our phones and cameras as well besides txt, and phone calls.

[Slim J]

I found a strange named app on my Samsung Transform (it's a Sprint Android). It's called keytracer.apk. I found it comes with my phone because I examined an official update for my phone. Since I have a rooted phone, I deleted the file and my phone seems to run a little bit faster (and safer). I don't like this because it invades on privacy and it is illegal. I say that they need to do something about this.

[travis_t80]

Yep, here is a screenshot of my new HTC Vivid, using logcat and sure enough, I see it...... Thanks for bringing this to attention!

[wolverinemarky]

Take that android not only do they know where u are at all times but they know every keystroke and can read your text messages even before you receive them wow

[Zokunei]

SMS going through your carrier's servers is something to be worried about? As far as I know your carrier gets these on non-smartphones.

[Cer0]

SMS going through your carrier's servers is something to be worried about? As far as I know your carrier gets these on non-smartphones.

Think it is more of a third party company tracking every single tiny thing you do; every keystroke.

[Orby]

I'd also like to add this Carrier IQ software is present on iPhones (since 3.1) as well. However, it appears to track less information...

Twitter / Grant Paul: (As pointed out to me by [ ...
Twitter / Grant Paul: It appears Carrier IQ /is/ ...

[Zokunei]

Think it is more of a third party company tracking every single tiny thing you do; every keystroke.

I agree with all that I was just wondering why SMS was a big deal. Although it is sent to the manufacturers so that is something to worry about.

I'd also like to add this Carrier IQ software is present on iPhones (since 3.1) as well. However, it appears to track less information...

Twitter / Grant Paul: (As pointed out to me by [ ...
Twitter / Grant Paul: It appears Carrier IQ /is/ ...

Not iOS 5.0.1. A Terminal 'locate' reveals nothing for iq, IQ, iQ, or Iq (except for irrelevant parts of other words). The closest thing is the "Diagnostics and usage" that can now be viewed in Settings > General > About > Diagnostics and usage, which sends no keystrokes or stuff that was of concern in this video. It only sends data when apps crash.

[Orby]

I agree with all that I was just wondering why SMS was a big deal. Although it is sent to the manufacturers so that is something to worry about.

SMS/MMS communications are generally protected by the Wiretap Act (Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2522) insofar as the carrier has no right to intercept or read the communications outside of ensuring integrity of their communications service (and it gets a whole lot messier with the PATRIOT Act and the required disclosures, but that's another story).

This is a third party grabbing the contents of the communications... as in neither the sender or recipient of the message nor the carrier transmitting the communication. There is a reasonable expectation of privacy that the communication will only be read by its intended recipient. It's a pretty big deal, IMO.

Not iOS 5.0.1. A Terminal 'locate' reveals nothing for iq, IQ, iQ, or Iq (except for irrelevant parts of other words). The closest thing is the "Diagnostics and usage" that can now be viewed in Settings > General > About > Diagnostics and usage, which sends no keystrokes or stuff that was of concern in this video. It only sends data when apps crash.

The binary has been renamed to "awd_ice" according to chpwn (see second linked tweet earlier).

[Zokunei]

SMS/MMS communications are generally protected by the Wiretap Act (Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2522) insofar as the carrier has no right to intercept or read the communications outside of ensuring integrity of their communications service (and it gets a whole lot messier with the PATRIOT Act and the required disclosures, but that's another story).

This is a third party grabbing the contents of the communications... as in neither the sender or recipient of the message nor the carrier transmitting the communication. There is a reasonable expectation of privacy that the communication will only be read by its intended recipient. It's a pretty big deal, IMO.

Cool. That's how it should be.

No awd_ice on iPods at least. I'm glad Apple isn't obsessed.

Now watch something like this be on dumb phones.

[j.eck.art.3d]

considering the fact that apple has never let carriers load up their phones w/ crapware, i'd say that google and its manufacturing partners do have something to do with this. android is a HUGE part of the smartphone market. with that comes a ton of power, and they don't use any of that power EVER to keep this crap off their devices and out of customers lives.

Actually, according to Chpwn, a VERY reliable source IMO. iOS had Carrier IQ in it all the way through at least 3.1. Here is his tweet: https://twitter.com/chpwn/status/142047833648922625
So, yeah... Apple is just as guilty. And don't fool yourself, I am sure apple didn't remove it from subsequent releases because they all of a sudden had a change of heart and felt it was wrong to track EVERYTHING their customers do. With Apple's track record, they probably wanted to stop sharing the info with/paying for the licensing of Carrier IQ and developed their own proprietary "crapware" that perhaps people haven't found *yet* all in the name of making even more money in an even more closed OS.

EDIT: apparently, Carrier IQ *is* still in iOS (at least through 5.0). According to Chpwn it *appears* to be a stripped down, less intrusive version of it though. Read his full write up here: http://t.co/u80iPlwr

[sziklassy]

Another reason to run custom Android installations.

[duromega]

Lol people think apple doesn't do this. Every company does this it's called data mining...even though android does it illegally apple just makes you press "i agree" lol

User: what I am not going to let you chop off my b**ls!

Apple: you agreed!

I saw something like this in a south park episode LMAO

[Atari800]

If you read the chpwn articles, apple did have this but stripped down . It was/is more of the debug routine (enable/disable in settings).
This as debug routine (and controllable) makes sense. Info going to 3rd party company does not.

I wonder if adding this to your phones /etc/host file would stop it?
127.0.0.1 carrieriq.com

It won't stop it collecting but prevent it from sending

[Colby21]

considering the fact that apple has never let carriers load up their phones w/ crapware, i'd say that google and its manufacturing partners do have something to do with this. android is a HUGE part of the smartphone market. with that comes a ton of power, and they don't use any of that power EVER to keep this crap off their devices and out of customers lives.

Here's a quote from chpwn, the person responsible for finding this "crapware" in apple's phones... which you claim to be factual information that they didn't do that... (wonder where you got your facts from buddy..)

"...the blame here really belongs with the US carriers who obviously demanded this."

so stfu.

[PatrickGSR94]

Makes me glad I don't have an Android or RIM phone!

[jOnGarrett]

So this is all about Androids and not Apple products at all?

Yes I read the article

its ON the iPhone too. Carrier IQ Shows Up In iOS But Isn't Quite As Nasty As It Is On Android And Other Smartphones | Redmond Pie. Chpwn has discovered it.

[PatrickGSR94]

Yeah it's only used on the iPhone when it's in diagnostic mode, which is off by default. And even when it's on, it's only logging technical data for diagnostic purposes.

[dsg]

I've found some more information here