It is no secret that with smart phones, one of their biggest weaknesses is that they are so easily prone to being hacked. Android has taken quite a few black eyes due to the fact that it is such an open system that hackers love to install their own malware hidden in many different applications, something to which Apple has gloated over. However, recently no one was gloating when it was revealed that  all four major US carriers had installed an application called Carrier IQ into their phones for the purpose of monitoring customers.

Previously it was not unheard of to find tracking software installed via various applications and third party vendors, but they were usually device-specific, and easily solved by removing the app from the device and the Market. This seemed to be a case here, where the carriers themselves installed tracking software onto their devices without informing customers that the software existed. Naturally, their explanations seem to be quite benign, and they say that they were only collecting information to better serve customers. However there aren’t many people out there that enjoy having their actions on their computing devices monitored, no matter what the cause.

The application simply makes a log of all actions performed on the device,  whether the texting application was being used or  other similar actions. This data is then sent to the networks, which then, supposedly, give the carriers statistical information on the data usage habits of their Smartphone clients.

The revelation of the existence of carrier IQ caused such an uproar that within a matter of weeks,  Sprint had already removed it from most of their devices. Not every carrier, however, agrees that it is such a big deal or thinks there’s any reason to be concerned. Your device may still have Carrier IQ on it and it is up to you to decide whether you want to continue allowing it to record your movements or to remove it from your device.

With Android, the removal process for carrier IQ can be fairly simple depending on what device you have.  iPhone users are having many more roadblocks given the proprietary nature of their devices. To remove carrier IQ from your device follow these instructions:

If your device is rooted, downloading the Logging TestApp Pro, the paid version, will allow you to remove Carrier IQ as an option. The app is only $1, so many people consider it a worthy investment. Likewise, if you are rooted, flashing a custom ROM like Cyanogen will also remove the problem, since Cyanogen doesn’t include Carrier IQ in its package. Unfortunately, at the moment, it appears that only rooting your phone will give you the option to manually remove Carrier IQ, though many other carriers are following suit after Sprint and voluntarily removing it themselves. AT&T has already begun the process.

Most likely it is the truth that carriers were merely collecting information about users so that they can develop procedures to better serve their users. However being tracked in any way is nothing to take lightly. The very fact that users were probably not aware that they were even being tracked, and their data habits monitored by the carriers is disturbing. Some people are not bothered by the sort of thing, preferring instead to let the carriers collect what data they need. However, if this bothers you the removal of carrier IQ might be in your best interest.

{ 0 comments }