The fear is that Sprint keylogs on Android phones using an embedded (hard to remove) app called Carrier IQ (CiQ), even helping itself, in clear text, to WiFi SSL encrypted comms — all in the name of fleet QA, really? Can it capture usernames and passwords too?
Let’s presume Sprint will use this information responsibly, if harvested (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). The risk of being hacked into? Probably priceless for the hacker, disgruntled partner with access to your handset [enter your own demon's name here].
Read Techcrunch’s article Carrier IQ Video Shows Alarming Capabilities Of Mobile Tracking Software
Then, to be fair and balanced, watch CiQ’s CEO’s explanation. Does it bother you that they disabled comments on this video? Folks seem to be voting it down, so I expect the comments would have been mostly negative.
Then ask yourself, if they do not transmit any of the captured information, how can they learn from it? Oops. Not tracking? How can they tell where a call is dropped? Dang! Even if they’re aggregating/anonymising they’re leaving data logs on individual handsets vulnerable to hacking — plus that very CiQ tool is likely draining the battery and retarding performance. Isn’t that counter to the CEO’s stated mission?
Would we tolerate this level of intrusion on laptops for all the reasons given?
Update 12/1/2011: Read Read WSJ’s Carrier IQ Speaks: Our Software Ignores Your Personal Info. So, now they admit CiQ does transmit data, but nothing very personal. My head is spinning from all this flip-flopping. So how about setting this utility to off by default and being upfront about what it collects (offering a preview of the data if we want to see it, before it’s transmitted)?
Et tu iPhone?
To see what your iPhone is up to, and to ensure it’s not sending similar “diagnostic” information out …
Settings>General>About>Diagnostics & Usage>Don't Send [checked]
Then to see what’s it’s capturing, even though it may not be sending …
Settings>General>About>Diagnostic & Usage Data>Messages [today's date]
Doesn’t look to me like there’s any iPhone keylogging going on. Phew!
Read The Verge’s Carrier IQ references discovered in Apple’s iOS
