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Carrier IQ Releases 19 Page Report Covering Their Business Practices In Painstaking Detail

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I don’t even know where to start with Carrier IQ gate. It has blown up into this huge mobile security issue, snowballing into probably the worse PR nightmare the company could have ever expected. Ever since it was first exposed in HTC devices, the software has been found in use on almost every device and OS under the sun, as commissioned by whichever carrier those devices are running on. Even the FBI could have been using the data collected for national security. It’s that big. Well, Carrier IQ wants to give you their complete, exhaustive response to all the concerns and complaints consumers have been having with the service in this 19 page PDF. So, if you were one of those folks with your pitchforks, put it down for just a few minutes, grab your spectacles instead and read up.

[Full Carrier IQ Press Release]

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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44 Comments

  1. I haven’t been part of spying like this since I left Russia.

    1. they are blaming bugs and carriers. They are saying they collected your text messages and URLs, but that was because of a bug. lol

  2. This fails to answer one question: how do we opt out?

    1. Exactly, they blame Carriers and bugs… but themselves. And provide no way to opt out and did not answer how and why tracking is occurring, when the user did not agree to be tracked. 

      1. Why not just Root then install a AOSP Rom on your phone? 

        1. Because some of us weren’t smart enough to do it prior to HBOOT 1.50.0000 on the EVO 3D and after reading about how big of a pain it is I don’t even want to bother. 

          At least now I can tell my gf she doesn’t need to read through my texts anymore, CarrierIQ is doing it for her.

          1. tell your girlfriend she is a nosy bitch for me!

      2. That is one answer.
        Since I am on Verizon and they don’t use this on their devices I am okay I guess.
        It’s easy to say ‘pay the ETF’ but that still does not make this right.

      3. Or maybe get out and don’t pay the ETF? These privacy robbing “bugs” may very well be a breach of contract on the carrier’s side. I’d have to imagine that somewhere in their privacy agreement, they say they won’t share your personal information.

      4. haven’t u heard? even if you terminate your service ciq still does it’s thing!

  3. Yea I hear ya. I haven’t been part of spying like this since the IMF when the Secretary disavowed any knowledge of my actions and I was forced to fend for my life. 

  4. bastards they are lying i hope they get caught!

    1. I know some of you paranoifs seem to think that just simply posting that they’re lying suffices but the rest of the 95 percent of the population of sane, rational human beings requires proof.
      I know man like I just bummed you out duuuuuuuuuuude

      1. you seem like one of THOSE guys who believes everything his government says. Think about it, when there’s no one higher than the politicians  to verify the truth, it is easy to make up a lie….

        1. not talking about lying your over in koo koo land talking about conspiracies.
          there are no politician or Cops jerking off to pictures of your obese girlfriend

          1. LOL 

            it’s people like you that get shot in the face for saying something stupid.

      2. That’s why Carrier IQ keeps changing their story each week?

        1. This ATL guy must be one of those guys who doesn’t realize the seriousness of a situation, until its too late. There are other companies out there besides CIQ who monitor all our activity. If it was strictly to weed out the terrorists, i would be OK with that. But the problem is, that no one is watching the watchers, giving them the ability to lie, and deceive. And ignorant people like this ATL guy, fall for the lies, assuming they are correct. Bernie Murdoch was stringing along thousands of people, who were too ignorant to verify information. In his time in power, everyone took his word for it, thinking they were getting returns on their investments, but LOW and BEHOLD, it was a PONZI scheme…. who would have thought. open your eyes people, we are not as comfortable and private as the government wants us to believe……

  5. Shame. but honestly, i am not surprised. even more serious, is the fact that the government entities have tracking software setup server side. so get used to it guys, no privacy…..

    1. Ya if your a criminal

      1. no, if you’re a law abiding citizen. im not a criminal, but im not comfortable with some politician jerking off to photos of my girlfriend on her phone. Im not comfortable with some cop jerking off to text messages between me and my girlfriend….

        are you still not getting it? They want complete control over what we do and say……

        1. It’s via your complete ignorance of how technology works sprinkled with watching 1 too many matrix films that have deluded your mind

          1. I have a pretty good understanding of how it works. i think YOU need to do some research. for example IP networks are setup to maintain full transparency. Ask any IT administrator, he will tell you. Server side, IT professionals have access to everything we do. 

            THAT, and the fact that i don’t just take someone’s word for it; whatever it may be. History has proven that people in power, always abuse their power. So answer this, if you found out you had access to personal SMS scripts, you wouldn’t skim them? to see what people talk about? I think anyone would want to. 

            oh and BTW: Fack you.

          2. I hope for his sake he pretending to be so ignorant just to get a rise out of folks.

          3. you will find in real life that people arent as corrupt as these delusional movies you watch.
            no I wouldn’t read someone’s private sms messages

          4. I guess in your world it’s okay to read someone’s private business because in your deluded head everyone is corrupt so I might as well be corrupt to.
            so in essence you are doing what you despise. self righteous cock

          5. also there is ZERO EVIDENCE that carrier iq or anyone else is actually reading our.
            private messages, emails, excetera.
            there seems to be a whole lot of people who makes all these fantasies up yet they’re not based on an facts.

          6. since you will read other peoples sms messages will you send me nude photos of your obese girlfriend?
            it seems only fair

          7. focking troll

  6. This seems like a job for Ethan Hunt to uncover the secrets of Carrier IQ. Mission Impossible?

    1. Haha

  7. Honestly, I don’t have a problem with them and I’m not sure why you guys do. Who we should have a issue with is the carriers. I don’t claim to know how phones get made or how the software ends up on them but I have a idea that carriers and manufacturers are not shipping phones to Carrier IQ to install their software. When I read about a murder I don’t get mad at Glock for making the gun. Drinking and driving? I don’t get mad at liquor manufacturers. I would imagine most of you are the same. So why are we quick to blame Carrier IQ? I’m not saying that they are not a despicable company but it’s the carriers that are using the software from what we know.

  8. here’s a quote from their full press release… “Q. “Why is my battery only lasting 3 hours and my phone keeps crashing?” A. Because you have loaded a new application abcxyz and this is draining the battery quickly and making your phone unstable.””  –because your stupid software is constantly running in the background sending my transaction history to your network.

    1. Carrier IQ isn’t on my sensation and this phone gets shit battery life

      1. Thats because of all that HTC eye candy.

        1. pffff… what… the hazy screen??? 

          SuperAMOLED+    or GTFO!

      2. cause its a shitty phone……

  9. Like duuuuude don’t believe this!! Of course they will like put this out maaaaaaaan! They like want to get into moooooore of our phones maaaaaan! Pass the bong duuuuuuude

    1. What is wrong with you? You sound almost as annoying as the HAVES who mock the Occupy “hippie” protesters.

  10. The Digital Revolution is a double edged sword. 

  11. Thanks carrier IQ! Thanks to you I rooted my EVO; turned out to be one of the best things I could do in that situation. People just root and install a custom ROM. It’s not as difficult as it may seem. You will be done with all the games carriers play on their customers. Thanks again Carrier IQ, I now know the joys of being rooted!

  12. Carrier IQ’s PDF document appears to make contradictory statements at my first read and needs to present significantly more information.  Further definitions of terms are needed for persons not in the industry.  Appendix B is a white wash as it does not indicate what specific data is recorded for every item listed. Carriers IQ’s included examples seem to indicate that all data recorded is very specific and all inclusive to provide for their examples indicated problem solution.  This can not be just a minor 24-hour summary.  This needs to be looked into by more research experts.  Do you believe this debug software by a foreign manufacturer was accidentally left on (the next question to answer) and how many phones have it?  Who else can remotely start and receive this data?

  13. Carrier IQ’s PDF release appears to be contradictory at first read.  They need to define their abbreviations and define their terms used for lay persons.  Appendix B is a white wash. They need to specify all the data collected for each item in their list.  Carrier IQ’s included examples would seem to indicate that the data collected to get their sample solutions is very specific and all inclusive, not just a minor 24-hour summary they want the reader to believe.  An expert researcher needs to investigate this further.  Do you believe a foreign manufacturer just accidentally left the debug program on?  How many phones have the active debug problem?  Who all can hack and find the keys to restart these programs if they can’t be removed

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