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Preroll · 11-30-2011, 02:18 PM

It seems (at this point) that there is 'speculation' that in addition to Android having the Carrier IQ spyware service installed at the root level, there maybe the same software installed on Blackberry devices too. I hope not or I'm going back to smoke signals!

Carrier IQ (spyware?) is on Blackberry's too?! - BlackBerry Forums at CrackBerry.com

daphne · 11-30-2011, 07:52 PM

I'm glad you posted this - you beat me to it!

This is becoming big news.
Your Smartphone Is Spying on You - Yahoo! News

The Android developer's video showing the keylogging on an Android device was posted on Gizmodo yesterday.
Your Android Phone Is Secretly Recording Everything You Do

It seems some folks have been aware of Carrier IQ for some time now, but I hadn't heard of it until yesterday. The company, of course, denies the spyware:
http://www.carrieriq.com/Media_Alert...s_11_16_11.pdf

But they jumped on the researcher who published this and threatened him with a C&D letter, article here:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/1...s-legal-threat
Letter here, PDF:
https://www.eff.org/sites/default/fi...d_redacted.pdf
That kind of response from the company makes them look more suspicous, IMO.

And the EFF sent strong letter to Carrier IQ and they have backed down some, PDF.
https://www.eff.org/sites/default/fi...d_response.pdf

I have't seen anything that demonstrates or confirms Carrier IQ has been found on BlackBerrys however.

There is likely gong to be a lot of backlash over this, so stay tuned.

Preroll · 11-30-2011, 10:41 PM

Yeah, this one's out of hand. This beats the whole location tracking issues they were complaining about with the iPhone. Actually, they referenced Android, Blackberry, and Nokia in the article but here's one that points out iOS (or iPhone) devices containing the IQAgent under the /usr/bin folders.

Carrier IQ code spotted in iOS

NJBlackBerry · 12-01-2011, 07:01 AM

This will really make the paranoids crazy!

devnull · 12-01-2011, 07:08 AM

I realize this isn't proof but the article below implies a BB device has been seen with it or some variant.

How much of your phone is yours?

Quote:

Right now, it is difficult to see just how many phones have a variant of CarrierIQ on them, or how they are being used. Test applications have been found for Blackberry, specifically the 9530, and the Nokia n97-1 and Series 60 devices as well, though those phones are a little more difficult to go browsing around to see how the apps are being used. Nowhere on any of these devices are you, the user, shown or given control over what information is being collected, nor do you have the ability to opt-out anywhere.

penguin3107 · 12-01-2011, 08:39 AM

Quick, everyone put a tin-foil case on your smartphone.

NJBlackBerry · 12-01-2011, 09:10 AM

This explains the Black Helicopters.

daphne · 12-01-2011, 10:17 AM

These Are the Phones We're Pretty Sure Don't Have Carrier IQ

Quote:

Turns out a lot more phones that we originally thought are infected with Carrier IQ, the nothing-you-can-do-about-it rootkit that has all the tinfoil hat people crowing. But not all! Here's a list of the phones that have had hard denials from their manufacturer or carrier or have been found to be clean.

All Verizon phones
All Nokia handsets
All Windows Phones
All Vodafone Phones
All O2 Phones
Google Nexus phones (Google Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus)
Original Xoom

Preroll · 12-01-2011, 11:18 AM

Verizon denies Carrier IQ is on any of its phones | The Verge

OK, so Verizon claims that they don't have Carrier IQ on their phones but this is not to say that they don't have something else under a different name that does the same thing. This is an ongoing cat and mouse game with this whole privacy issue.

NJBlackBerry · 12-01-2011, 11:28 AM

Paranoia will destroya

Preroll · 12-01-2011, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Preroll

Verizon denies Carrier IQ is on any of its phones | The Verge

OK, so Verizon claims that they don't have Carrier IQ on their phones but this is not to say that they don't have something else under a different name that does the same thing. This is an ongoing cat and mouse game with this whole privacy issue.

Sprint says it 'uses Carrier IQ to help maintain our network performance' | The Verge

ifonline · 12-01-2011, 03:23 PM

RIM has given a statement that Carrier IQ is not on their phones, never has been, and is not authorized to be installed by carriers. Beyond that, as more info comes out, it seems that this "issue" isn't so much an issue at all. Are there any phones left that do have Carrier IQ installed without the user's knowledge?

NJBlackBerry · 12-01-2011, 05:08 PM

Does this mean that Preroll can come in off the ledge?

daphne · 12-01-2011, 05:31 PM

OK, I don't get why some folks are making light of this and essentially making fun of people for being concerned. Privacy a legitimate issue and certainly warrants people being concerned. Frankly I worry more about people who aren't concerned. Whether or not you have anything to hide has no bearing on this -when people say they have nothing to hide that tells me they really don't undersand the implications of being tracked without their knowledge and consent.

Being concerned is not the same as being paranoid.

daphne · 12-01-2011, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ifonline

RIM has given a statement that Carrier IQ is not on their phones, never has been, and is not authorized to be installed by carriers. Beyond that, as more info comes out, it seems that this "issue" isn't so much an issue at all. Are there any phones left that do have Carrier IQ installed without the user's knowledge?

Lots of Android devics and iOS devices apparently.

devnull · 12-02-2011, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ifonline

RIM has given a statement that Carrier IQ is not on their phones, never has been, and is not authorized to be installed by carriers. Beyond that, as more info comes out, it seems that this "issue" isn't so much an issue at all. Are there any phones left that do have Carrier IQ installed without the user's knowledge?

Technolog - AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile use Carrier IQ, but don't collect personal info

Quote:

Three of the nation's four largest wireless carriers xxx8212; AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile xxx8212; say they use Carrier IQ's controversial key-logging software, say they do not use it to monitor subscribers' activities. The Carrier IQ program is an analytical tool, strictly to "improve wireless network and service performance," not to track users' personal data, said AT&T.

I agree with Daphne. This isn't, for me at least, about paranoia. Many will say "if you have nothing to hide then there isn't anything to worry about". It's not that there is something to hide but there is something that is personal and private(contacts, passwords) which I do not want to share.

ifonline · 12-02-2011, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daphne

OK, I don't get why some folks are making light of this and essentially making fun of people for being concerned.

I'm not trying to make light of the situation, but I get this feeling that it's not as wide-spread as the initial public reaction suggested. As more details emerge, fewer handsets seem to be "infected" with this junk.

Quote:

Originally Posted by daphne

Lots of Android devics and iOS devices apparently.

I saw that Apple made a comment that iOS5 does not fully support Carrier IQ and future versions will not support it at all. Interesting that it was there in the first place, however.

Quote:

Originally Posted by devnull

I agree with Daphne. This isn't, for me at least, about paranoia. Many will say "if you have nothing to hide then there isn't anything to worry about". It's not that there is something to hide but there is something that is personal and private(contacts, passwords) which I do not want to share.

I can definitely see the issue, and would love to hear Carrier IQ explain how capturing keystrokes helps the carriers maintain their network.

NJBlackBerry · 12-02-2011, 06:54 AM

I believe it is overblown, fed off of breathless media reports about how this is installed and invading the privacy of billions of mobile device users.

And each day, more and more carriers and device manufacturers say they aren't using it. So the threat to the billions gets much smaller.

Privacy is a huge problem. You cars are being tracked by camera, nothing wireless is as safe as we'd like.

My opinion (and I am entitled to it): Get over it. You have no privacy if you use any electronic equipment with a transmitting radio, or credit cards, or drive a car (or use an EZPass or some other RFID-type payment device).

The sky isn't falling. It fell a long time ago.

TBOLTRAM · 12-02-2011, 12:50 PM

Actually it is a matter of principal. No one has the right to monitor you unless there is a court order.

ifonline · 12-02-2011, 01:04 PM

Wrong on so many levels.

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Carrier IQ (Spyware) on Blackberry?