As details are uncovered about the Carrier IQ rootkit, which was secretly installed on over 140 million smartphones. According to Carrier IQ’s website, every company that knows what it does has tried to distance itself from the software, especially now, in the wake of multiple class-action lawsuits.
But as Rob Beschizza’s post on Boing Boing shows, some companies are doing so a little more gracefully than others.
What is a “rootkit” and how is it spyware?
The Carrier IQ software is called a rootkit because it has “root” privileges on the smartphones that it’s installed on. In other words, it can do basically anything it wants, including log every place you go and everything you do with your smartphone, and it’s impossible to detect or remove unless you’re an expert.
Android expert Trevor Eckhart discovered what the Carrier IQ software was doing, and posted that information online. Some security researchers have pointed out that not all of the information that Carrier IQ collects is necessarily being transmitted off the device, i.e. to the carriers or manufacturers, but it’s still being collected behind the scenes — a fact of which most smartphone users are still probably unaware.
Which U.S. wireless carriers are using Carrier IQ?
Smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and HTC insist that they only put the Carrier IQ software on phones at the request of the wireless carriers. And ATT, T-Mobile and Sprint have confirmed the Carrier IQ software is installed on at least some of their smartphones.
In a statement, ATT said “In line with our privacy policy, we solely use CIQ software data to improve wireless network and service performance.” A T-Mobile email statement pointed out that “T-Mobile does not use this diagnostic tool to obtain the content of text, email or voice messages, or the specific destinations of a customers’ Internet activity, nor is the tool used for marketing purposes.”
Sprint’s response was along those lines, but considerably lengthier, and Sprint’s response to complaining customers has been to point out that the data gathered “is metric information, not personally identifiable information.”
Verizon has said it does not use Carrier IQ at all, although it has admitted to using other tools to gather data for “business and marketing” purposes. Verizon Wireless customers can opt out of having their data used in this way.
Other wireless carriers
According to Chloe Albanesius of PC World, US Cellular and MetroPCS smartphones do not have Carrier IQ installed. Virgin Mobile has not made a statement one way or the other, but at least one Virgin Mobile customer has confirmed that it’s not installed on his or her LG Optimus V. Newcomer Republic Wireless has also stated that Carrier IQ isn’t and won’t be installed on its phones.
Thomas Ricker of The Verge explained how to detect if Carrier IQ is installed on your Android smartphone, although the most accurate method requires you to root your phone first.
Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.
Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/carriers-smartphones-carrier-iq-spyware-174400506.html
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