Someone please explain to me why corporations, if they are ‘people’ according to the Supreme Court and Shit Romney, cannot be imprisoned for activities such as this? Please, do tell.
5 Free Handjobs from Smokey to anyone who can post the physical address of the company responsible and a list of executives for public review.
Your Smartphone Is Spying on You
By Adam Clark Estes | The Atlantic Wire – 18 hrs ago
An Android developer recently discovered a clandestine application called Carrier IQ built into most smartphones that doesn’t just track your location; it secretly records your keystrokes, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Is it time to put on a tinfoil hat? That depends on how you feel about privacy.
[Related: Facebook and Google Join Forces to Oppose Privacy Bill]
The reason for this invasive Android app seems reasonable enough at face value. Even though it’s on most Android, BlackBerry and Nokia devices, most users would never know that Carrier IQ is running in the background, and that’s sort of the point. Described on the company’s website as software to gain “unprecedented insight into their customers’ mobile experience,” Carrier IQ is ostensibly supposed to help mobile carriers and device manufacturers gather data in order to improve their products.
Tons of applications do this, and you’re probably used to those boxes that pops up on your screen and ask if you want to help the company by sending your data back to them. If you’re concerned about your privacy, you just tap no and go about your merry computing way. As security-conscious Android developer Trevor Eckhart realized, however, Carrier IQ does not give you this option, and unless you were code-savvy and looking for it, you’d never know it was there. And based on how aggressive the company has been in trying to keep Eckhart quiet about his discovery, it seems like Carrier IQ doesn’t want you to know it’s there either.
[Related: Did Eric Schmidt Step Down Because He ‘Screwed Up’ on Social Media?]
Eckhart first raised a red flag about Carrier IQ about two weeks ago when he started investigating reports that a software update on the HTC EVO 3D included “user behavior logging” code. The code had worried some geek bloggers when it showed up a couple months ago, but HTC and Sprint insisted that it wasn’t much different than normal error-logging software and certainly didn’t gather granular data like “contents of messages, photos, videos, etc.” Eckhart wrote an exhaustive blog post about his startling findings — CarrierIQ collected lots data, including keystrokes, and there way for the user to opt out “without advanced knowledge” — and CarrierIQ flipped out. The company sent Eckhart a cease-and-desist letter demanding that he keep his mouth shut and threatening legal action. But after the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) took a look at the case and determined that Eckhart was working within his First Amendment rights, it backed off but still denied that they recorded keystrokes.
[Related: Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich Will Make Android All Better]
This week, Eckhart fired back with a 17-minute long video showing in painstaking detail how much data CarrierIQ collects, effectively undercutting the company’s denial. It was even logging contents of text messages! Wired posted the video on Tuesday night and cemented its status “as one of nine reasons to wear a tinfoil hat.” The magazine explains how CarrierIQ even undercuts other companies’ security measures:
The video shows the software logging Eckhart’s online search of “hello world.” That’s despite Eckhart using the HTTPS version of Google which is supposed to hide searches from those who would want to spy by intercepting the traffic between a user and Google. … It’s not even clear what privacy policy covers this. Is it Carrier IQ’s, your carrier’s or your phone manufacturer’s? And, perhaps, most important, is sending your communications to Carrier IQ a violation of the federal government’s ban on wiretapping?
Oh, we’re definitely in tinfoil hat territory now. CarrierIQ and the carriers have yet to respond to the latest claims — we’re doing our best to chase them down — but if past smartphone tracking scandals are any precedent, they could end up answering to Congress.
Related: The First Signs of Mutiny in the Android Brigade
Like many things in life, there are a couple of different ways to think about smartphone tracking. One way approaches privacy from a forward-thinking, technology-trusting and, heck, even progressive perspective. GPS-equipped smartphones are incredibly powerful tools that enables mankind to do all kinds of amazing things, thanks to the perpetual stream of data from the Internet. However, that stream runs both ways, and sometimes, the folks that build and maintain the network sometimes need to monitor your data in order to improve the technology. Who wouldn’t want better service?
[Related: The Great Facebook Privacy Disconnect ]
This brings us to the second approach. Tracking is creepy. In an Orwellian kind of way, it makes people nervous — especially Americans — that the government or the corporations or the system is closing in on them and stealing their freedom. Of course, not everybody feels so strongly about privacy, but as long as you can opt out, it’s fine. Last week, Sen. Charles Schumer spoke out about a program at some malls in Virginia and Southern California that were anonymously tracking shoppers’ movements by tracking their cell phone signals, and the only way to opt was by not going to the mall. Schumer did not approve. “Personal cell phones are just that — personal,” the New York senator said in a statement. “If retailers want to tap into your phone to see what your shopping patterns are, they can ask you for your permission to do so.”
The CarrierIQ software is not dissimilar to the shopper tracking program. In fact, it’s arguably worse since it follows you everywhere. In the age of social media, everybody is becoming increasingly aware of and often angry about the amount of private data companies are scooping up with or without their consent. This week, the Federal Trade Commission and Facebook came to an agreement that the social network must make all of their new programs opt-in so as not to break the law by violating users’ privacy. Even Mark Zuckerberg admitted in a sincere-sounding blog post that his company had “made a bunch of mistakes” on the privacy front in the past. He went on to detail how “offering people control over the information they share online” was a top priority. This is Mark “Privacy is Over” Zuckerberg we’re talking about here. With Facebook reportedly building its own mobile phone platform, wouldn’t it be super ironic if people started defecting from the Android army and switching to the Facebook phone in the name of privacy?
Your move, Google.
Why am I not shocked?
We pay these evil corporations to seek new ways to violate us. We PAY them.
Just like we are paying China to eliminate our middle class.
Just like we pay state, local and federal governments and agencies to squash us under their boots.
And, usually, we fall back on the old adage, “if you ain’t doing nothing wrong, you got nothing to worry about.”
Well, I don’t have “nothing to worry about,” seems like I have a lot to worry about.
A lot.
Thanks for the heads-up.
Combine this with the Supreme Court getting ready to rule on whether (or not) the “authorities” have the right to track us ALL with our “smart” phones. Yep, they, the same court that ruled Corporations are people, that government can take your land and gift it to the highest campaign contributor, that cops can enter your home because they “think” they smell something, yep, those same guys.
I feel so much better now that I know the lengths that Big Gubment and Big Business has my back. [/sarcasm]
I currently use a Droid X, before that an original Droid, before that a Blackberry (which I hated), before that a Palm Treo (best phone ever, imo). At this point though, I think I’m going to seriously look at the gas station pre-paid crap phones and just ditch all this alleged ‘smart’ shit altogether. It isn’t smart at all – actually seems like just about the stupidest thing you can do anymore.
My Droids may very well end up on a youtube video soon being used as target practice for a scope sighting-in project, with the video addressed to Google and Carrier IQ. A colorful narration may also be included.
Serves those self-important vanity-ridden people right who stare and play with the smart phones 24/7 so they don’t have to look in the mirror and see what an obese, lazy POS they are and what a waste their life has become.
Hey there AWD – check thine email.
Here is the address.
Carrier IQ, Inc.
1276 App Way Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 91834
When can I get my 5 free hand jobs?
You only qualify for 2 (two) Smokey’s Famous Handjobs plus a 1 (one) anal tickling due to fulfilling only one of the two stated requirements. But thanks for the address. It’ll be forwarded to the relevant OWS group for picketing. Well done, sir.
A have a Nokia phone very similar to the model below.
I can’t surf the net, text, check emails, get directions, play games, or do any of that other useless shit I DON’T want in a cell phone.
It basically allows me to do two things; make phone calls and receive phone calls. That is ALL I EVER want my fucking phone to do.
People with Smart phones are Stupid. Just my humble opinion.
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Stuck
We have the Verizon family plan for our cell phones. Me, Avalon, the three kids, and my mother. We have 700 minutes per month. My average monthly usage = 4 minutes. I hate cell phones.
What is a smart phone?
My average monthly use is around 40 minutes and has been for years. That’s how much time I spend each month telling telemarketers and bill collectors to fuck off.
TeresaE: Govt=corporations=wall street=banksters. I don’t do facebook,twitter,smartphones, &tc. I have bought ammo, survival goodies and firearm accessories off the ‘net. So, I’m already on the govt shit-terrist list. But they can’t track me by my phone. I simply turn the fucker off and remove the battery.
Why would they care what kind of porn I look at?
Turning it off and removing the batt may not be enough. many of the internal GPSs have a lithium cell to provide continuous power to the internal GPS. When TSHTF and you are heading west, toss your smartphone on to an eastbound truck.
At one time, all of this hardware was created to keep America from whatever. Now, all that hardware is being designed to be used against you. GPS, Drones, IR sighting systems, Flying weaponry… on and on… it ‘s all designed to keep someone safe, but not you.
My wife has a cell phone. it’s never turned on. She makes me take it with me when i take my bike ride every day, to call her if I fall or the bike breaks down. A while ago I fell on the bike path. As I laid there, I called her. THE FUCKING LINE WAS BUSY! I guess I don’t have a smart phone.
Silly people.
Do you REALLY think that the fed.gov/big corps would let a device like a smart phone or a computer or the internet get out into the public domain without some kind of back door tracking/eavesdropping capability?
Jeez, if that happened, then the people could actually communicate FREELY without any fed.gov oversight (=spying). Can’t have that, no, no.
Why do you think the patent process takes so damn long? It isn’t just to research if your device is like one already patented. It is to see if your device can further the aims of the Police State.
Do try to keep up.
Nobody ever calls me and I have a Blackberry. It’s the worlds most expensive fucking alarm clock.
The older Blackberries don’t have that capability, right?
My latest small Fuji digital camera has a GPS capability. There’s a menu option to turn if off.
There’s also a small note in the user’s manual which most do not real, which says the GPS will activate when the battery runs low …
This thread makes me feel smarter. When I re-upped my pre-paid, low-tech cell phone, they offered me a smart phone. I said hell no, I want a dumbass phone. Who’s the dumbass now?
Ya know, we could have squashed this massive invasion of privacy back in the 90’s. But nobody cared….
I worked in publishing back then. We lined up best talent on IT security or lack of it for big conference to engage execs in Govt and biz to tackle the key issues. Spent over 6 months lining up speakers, pitching sponsors. We just couldn’t get $ to support the effort and cancelled.
All of these privacy violations were foreseen and avoidable. But nobody – or enough people cared enough about our freedom to take action and build a wall of protection to block the intrusions we’ re experiencing today.
AKAnon
How do you know your dumbass phone doesn’t have GPS capability?
Oh sure, Novista, just shit on my parade. Honest answer-I don’t know for sure. I am not a technophile. My phone is a relatively simple Motorola I have had for 4 or 5 years now, and it was a pretty cheap model when it was new. Unless they all have GPS, this seems like one that wouldn’t. I use handheld GPS at work regularly-I would be surprised if the technology was small and cheap enough to incorporate into older, cheaper phones back then. Does anyone know when GPS became standard, or what models have it?
Novista-The GPS function in your phone-that is for coding location to your pictures, I believe. I am trying to get cameras with that feature at work. Unless there is a communication feature to broadcast your position, I don’t think the GPS function is anything to be troubled by. In a phone that is in contact with the cell tower system, taht’s another story.
I find it hillarious that those that rail against corporations have phones that do everything except stampede a herd of crippled yak. IT’S A PHONE.
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Last post-I was referring to cameras with GPS, not phones. Freudian slip.
Try “cloud” computing. You get to store all your files on someone else’s main-frame. The “plus” side is that from your smart-phone, i-pad, laptop (from the internet), etc. you would all be able to access your computer files. The “down side” is that so could the main-frame’s owners, operators, the government, and anyone who could “hack” into it. But hey, it’s the latest, greatest, and coolest wave of technology around.