14
Sep
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Congressman Proposes National Mobile Device Privacy Act In Response To Carrier IQ Snafu

Posted by in Carriers, News

Privacy on your mobile phone is kind of a big deal. And a company named Carrier IQ made it an even bigger one about a year ago by getting all up in a bunch of people's business. If you don't remember the Carrier IQ debacle of last winter, let me give you a rundown.

First, a guy named TrevE figured out that a company called Carrier IQ had its software installed on a bunch of phones, and that it was taking a lot of data from those phones. Like, scary amounts. And all that data went back to Carrier IQ, who then passed on some of it to the carriers.

02
Feb
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HTC EVO Shift 4G Next In Line For Carrier IQ Removal, OTA Rolling Out Now

Posted by in EVO Shift 4G (Speedy), News, Sprint

In Sprint's ever expanding quest to rid its handsets of Carrier IQ, the OTAs just keep on comin'. Today's the day for the HTC EVO Shift 4G, and the update just started rolling out. The changelog looks all too familiar:

  • Security Update (read: CIQ removal)
  • Updated Peep client (to align with Twitter)
  • Battery life improvements

To manually pull the update, hit Settings > About phone > System updates > HTC software update. Otherwise, just hang tight - notifications will begin being sent on February 7th.

[Sprint]

30
Jan
Im-just-a-bill

Mobile Device Privacy Act Wants To Require Carriers To Notify You Of Any Tracking Software On Your Phone

Posted by in Android OS, Carriers, Legal, News

Congress is a lot like a slot machine - once in a while, something good comes out. A new bill introduced by Representative Ed Markey of Massachusetts would require cellular carriers in the US to disclose to end users upon purchase of a mobile device any tracking software present on said device, or any such software that might be installed at a later date by the carrier, manufacturer, or OS provider (that would be Google for Android).

After the Carrier IQ debacle, the public has taken a heightened interest in the privacy of the information on their smartphone devices, and rightfully so.

25
Jan
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Samsung Epic 4G Touch Receiving An OTA Update To Build EL29 - Brings Bug Fixes, Removes Carrier IQ

Posted by in Epic 4G Touch, News, Sprint

Last week, Sprint rolled out OTA updates that removed Carrier IQ, as well as providing various other bug fixes and enhancements to a few different devices. The Samsung Epic 4G Touch is on the receiving end of a similar update beginning today, with the full rollout finishing its run within 10 days.

Here are the details:

  • Security update (read: Carrier IQ removal)
  • Dismissing multiple calendar alerts
  • Commercial Alert System (CMAS) activated

To see if the update is available on your device, head into the Settings menu > About phone > System updates > Update Android.

Enjoy your Carrier IQ-free handset!

17
Jan
Sprint

Sprint Working Diligently To Remove Carrier IQ From Its Phones, Updates To Start Rolling Out This Month

Posted by in News, Sprint

A few days ago the EVO 3D on Sprint received an update described as a "security update." At the time, it was unclear exactly what the update really brought to the table, but now the answer is pretty clear: it removed Carrier IQ. This comes after a whirlwind of controversy surrounding the software, which was initially uncovered by Android developer Trevor Eckhart.

After an uproar from the Android community, most providers and manufacturers stepped up to the plate and said that they would be removing Carrier IQ from their devices, and it looks like Sprint is the first one to start making good on said promise.

12
Dec
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[Updated: More Details Added] Carrier IQ Is Ready To Tell Us What It's All About, Releases Nineteen Page Document Detailing What It Collects And Who Gets To See It

Posted by in News

Carrier IQ has been a hot topic as of late, but not without good reason. The "service" that no one had really heard of before October of this year has been raising eyebrows for the last couple of months, leaving us all wondering how much data was actually being extracted from our devices.

While it definitely has a deep ditch to dig its way out of, CIQ has started on that long and tedious process by releasing a nineteen-page document detailing exactly what information is collected. The document gives a pretty in-depth explanation of what CIQ is really doing with the data being collected, how much of it is actually human-readable, and even goes as far as to address (and justify?) many of Trevor Eckhart's findings from a few weeks ago.

03
Dec
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Carrier IQ Explains How Its Software Works, Implicitly Blames HTC For Insecure Log Files, Data Leak Exposed By Trevor Eckhart

Posted by in Android OS, AT&T, HTC, Motorola, News, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile

Amid the turmoil surrounding Carrier IQ, the company's VP of Marketing, Andrew Coward, has come forward in a series of interviews with a few clarifications.

For those not in the loop, the controversy around Carrier IQ is based on developer Trevor Eckhart's findings which indicated that Carrier IQ's software was indeed collecting a vast array of information, and his demonstration showing that said data could be read using a simple command – one that could be executed by any malicious app with access to logcat. This data includes location information, SMS messages, and key taps.

Before we dive into Coward's remarks on the issue of security (and why he says CIQ is not to be blamed for insecure logs), it's important to look at how CIQ actually functions on a device.

03
Dec
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AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Motorola, And Apple Are Also Sued Alongside HTC, Samsung, And CarrierIQ In A New Class Action Lawsuit

Posted by in AT&T, HTC, Motorola, News, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile

Yesterday, we caught early wind of two class action lawsuits filed against CarrierIQ, HTC, and Samsung in Chicago and St. Louis. You can now add a whole new class action suit to the pile, except this time it also names AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Motorola, and Apple in addition to the aforementioned three companies.

Led by law firms from Delaware and New Jersey - Sianni & Straite LLP, Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow & McElroy LLP, and Keefe Bartels L.L.C. - the lawsuit "asserts that three cell phone providers (T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T) and four manufacturers of cell phones (HTC, Motorola, Apple and Samsung) violated the Federal Wiretap Act, the Stored Electronic Communications Act, and the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act." CarrierIQ is not named in that quote, but it is listed in the press release's title, so don't worry - the whole gang is included.

02
Dec
spy-files-wikileaks

Carrier IQ Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg. Wikileaks Founder Reveals That Smartphones Can Be Easily Hacked

Posted by in Android OS, News

Carrier IQ is bad news. We have spent much ink covering and debating the maliciousness of this pre-installed service which hides itself in the background of some Android devices, collects user information, and then sends it back to carriers. However according to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Carrier IQ is just the tip of the iceberg as most smartphones can be hacked remotely "with ease." At a recent speech, Assange stated point blank that anyone with an iPhone, BlackBerry or Gmail account was "screwed." While Assange didn't mention Android by name in his introductory speech, our favorite operating system is indeed referenced in some Wikileaks' reports.

02
Dec
carrierIQ

HTC And Samsung Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Carrier IQ, Could Potentially Cost Them Millions

Posted by in HTC, News, Samsung

We all knew it was going to happen - the first lawsuits are being filed against Carrier IQ and its data-stealing nature. Not only is CIQ getting hit with a suit, but HTC and Samsung are also being thrown into the ring since many of their phones support the software.

The suit claims that Carrier IQ is in violation of the Federal Wiretap Act, which makes intercepting "oral, wire, or electronic communications" illegal. The punishment isn't a light one, either - $100 per day for every incident; that could potentially cost Sammy and HTC millions of dollars.

Information is just now becoming available about the suit, but we'll make sure to keep you posted as more details become available.

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