Google Android Questions & Answers
Interesting: Android phones being tracked by carriers. Do you care?
Follow Discussion
Apparently there's a software installed on most of the Android phones called Carrier IQ, which logs the user's activity without users being aware it does so. It seems to be running on most of HTC, Samsung and other mobile devices with very small chance of regular user finding and turning it off.
Full read (theverge): http://goo.gl/1J7oE
The guy discovered it: http://goo.gl/VWZmX
Do you care that you've been tracked, or it's ok, If the carrier(s) improve their service based on that hidden research?
Highly rated gadgets
-
9.0
Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II
-
9.1
Apple iPhone XS
-
9.0
Sony WH-1000XM3
-
8.0
BlackBerry Motion
-
10.0
Nikon Z 7
-
9.1
Apple iPhone XS Max
-
10.0
FujiFilm X-T3
-
8.5
Xiaomi Mi A2
-
9.0
FujiFilm XF10
Wow shocking indeed, but I don`t think they`ll keep track of any sensitive information so I don`t really care :P
Don't care, don't have anything to hide :D
This hasn't been found on Samsung Galaxy Nexus, though.
However, If you're enjoying your Samsung or HTC android phone, you can easily check if your phone has the rootkit running via:
Settings > Applications > Running Services and search for IQAgent Service;
Or look in your system/lib folder for the presence of the following files:
libiq_client.so
libiq_service.so
In case it does, here's an app that removes it: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.treve.loggingkey
Thanks to Codernaut@theverge community.
Aaaaand the Carrier IQ apologized to the security researcher Trevor Eckhart, who initially found the rootkit, after sending him cease-and-desist order.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Carrier-IQ-withdraws-cease-and-desist-issues-an-apology_id24065
Actually my phone is not being tracked, so Samsung Galaxy Nexus is not the only one :D
Video of how every user input is being recorded, every touch: http://gizmodo.com/5863849/your-android-phone-is-secretly-recording-everything-you-do
Cool.
Latest updates on the story:
- Verizon Wireless phones are not running Carrier IQ
- Apple are completely removing it with a future IOS update
- Sprint and AT&T confirmed using Carrier IQ for improving network performance
- HTC does not receive any data and isn't a partner or a customer of Carrier IQ, also saying they will look into opt-out option
Full article on what's what: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/01/carrier-iq-what-it-is-what-it-isnt-and-what-you-need-to/
If you are so freaked out of Carrier IQ spying on you can go with a custom ROM. The CyanogenMod team stated that CM never had and never will have Carrier IQ.
http://www.cyanogenmod.com/blog/cyanogenmod-will-never-have-carrier-iq
I don't care because I use Google Nexus S - clean Android install, with no Carrier IQ...
i don't care. Although they may find out that I call work an awful lot to check voice messages.