spyware on 141 million cell phones : Othor Games

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 11:43 am

check it out http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Google-Android-Spyware-iOS-Carrier-IQ,news-13366.html

Your iPhone, Nokia, BlackBerry or Android device may or may not have keystroke-sniffing software called Carrier IQ embedded at the root. If the software does reside on your device, then it may be secretly creating logs of everything that's happening on the smartphone at the kernel level, tracking every text message and naughty schoolgirl image sent and received on the device.

EDIT: Bitdefender has released a detection app for Android phones (> version 2.1) http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Bitdefender-Carrier-IQ-Android-Rootkit-Mobile-Security,news-13394.html

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 7:22 am

That's unsettling.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:48 am

Implying I do anything interesting with my phone

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 12:36 pm

meh, let them see my texts with my lady friends.

nothing intresting going on OH GOD WHATS THAT PICTURE

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 3:52 pm

Doesn't surprise me that much and that's why I never check my bank statements on my phone.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 3:49 pm

Good thing my phone doesn't have it.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:14 am

I switch my phone on about once a month. And then I switch it off again. You can never tell, though, there may be someone that still gets terribly excited about that information.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:57 am

Meh, it's not like my phone has anything of value on it other than my own phone number :shrug:

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:18 am

Well, contrary to other people here, I do not want my information (that includes both texts and images) to be available for others to see. I use my mobile all the time.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 1:08 pm

Meh, it's not like my phone has anything of value on it other than my own phone number :shrug:

THIS!

Well, contrary to other people here, I do not want my information (that includes both texts and images) to be available for others to see. I use my mobile all the time.

Then don't use your phone ALL phone companies keep a log and have records of ALL of your phone activities.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 6:41 am

I really think the anger about this is being directed the wrong way. It needs to be directed at the Carriers, as they are the ones putting it on the phones. Was it wrong for Samsung and HTC to go along with it and presupply it? Yes, but it's the carriers that are enforcing the use of it.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:06 pm

I have a junk phone. And even if I had one of those, the only messages I ever get are ones from the service provider itself.

:sadvaultboy:

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:24 am

Is this somehow surprising, in this day and age where your car can call the police if you're in an accident, the police can track you via your SmartPhone if they feel a notion to, and apps that people willingly install can tell everyone the address of the coffee joint you just walked into?

...it's all in the name of getting to know your likes/dislikes & habits, so they can ~~serve~~ sell you properly!

...it's also the reason I don't have any "Smart" devices.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 1:04 pm

With the amount of por... uhhhhhhh... documentaries, I watch on my phone, I don't doubt it :shrug:

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:40 am

With the amount of por... uhhhhhhh... documentaries, I watch on my phone, I don't doubt it :shrug:

Animal Planet? :hubbahubba:

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:43 am

I really think the anger about this is being directed the wrong way. It needs to be directed at the Carriers, as they are the ones putting it on the phones. Was it wrong for Samsung and HTC to go along with it and presupply it? Yes, but it's the carriers that are enforcing the use of it.

That's understandable, though. Most of the headlines are "iPhone/Nokia/HTC/BlackBerry, or Android device may have spyware", not "Your AT&T/Sprint/whatever* phone may have spyware" :shrug:. Personally, this just reinforces my reluctance to get any phone through a plan/contract... so far I've only bought phones outright, and don't expect that to change for any future purchases.

*My knowledge of USA carriers is small.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:58 am

With all the photos my wife and I have exchanged someone is gonna have a heart attack...

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 6:52 am

Carrier ID is either hidden or not on my phone as I have sprint.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:43 am

Carrier ID is either hidden or not on my phone as I have sprint.

It doesn't appear as an app, duh. You need http://mashable.com/2011/12/02/carrier-iq-detection-ap/ to detect it.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 7:52 am

It doesn't appear as an app, duh. You need http://mashable.com/2011/12/02/carrier-iq-detection-ap/ to detect it.

I'll be curious to see if he gets it working better, AND if it is allowed to be distributed, or somehow gets killed by "the industry" (or government)

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:41 am

I'll be curious to see if he gets it working better, AND if it is allowed to be distributed, or somehow gets killed by "the industry" (or government)

The government is actually investigating carrier IQ, so they won't kill it. Don't just spread FUD.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:38 am

The government is actually investigating carrier IQ, so they won't kill it. Don't just spread FUD.

such an optimist!

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:19 am

Then don't use your phone ALL phone companies keep a log and have records of ALL of your phone activities.

I can't see how this isn't a breach of privacy.

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 1:37 pm

Rogers is denying having anything to do with this, so hopefully Carrier IQ isn't on my iPhone. Still, this kind of thing is unsettling to say the least. Not that I do anything inappropriate with my phone. :lmao:

:bolt:

» Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:50 am

I can't see how this isn't a breach of privacy.

I bet that if you look through the paperwork of the relevant carriers you'll find that anyone who's agreed to it has given permission for such spying to be done.