Most of us don’t know exactly what software is installed on our phones when we purchase them. All that seems to matter is that it works. But when Android developer Trevor Eckhart found software installed on many popular mobile devices that logs every single one of your keystrokes — phone numbers dialed, text messages, encrypted web searches, etc. — people started to listen.
Last week, Wired reported that Eckhart had found a program called Carrier IQ installed rather secretly on smartphones; its a program that can track almost anything happening on your mobile phone. Carrier IQ threatened Eckhart, who had posted research and manuals on his website, saying he was in breach of copyright law and could face financial charges. But Eckhart didn’t back down.
In fact, Eckhart has released a new video and research showing Carrier IQ at work on a phone, according to Wired. The company’s website says the program is used to give “manufacturer’s unprecedented insight into their customer’s mobile experience.” Wired states that Carrier IQ said the software is used to gather “information off the handset to understand the mobile-user experience, where phone calls are dropped, where signal quality is poor, why applications crash and battery life” — not logging keystrokes.
Now, as Eckhart notes in the video, his demonstration is shown on an HTC phone but he mentions he’s seen such software on other phones like Android, Blackberry, Nokia and more. Eckhart describes the software on his website as a “rootkit“ that is ”enabling someone continued privileged access to our computers“ and is ”hidden in nearly every part of our phones.”
Marcia Hofmann, an EFF senior staff attorney, said the civil rights group has concluded that “Carrier IQ’s real goal is to suppress Eckhart’s research and prevent others from verifying his findings.”
Wired had the opportunity to interview Carrier IQ’s marketing manager Andrew Coward who said the company should have control of distributing materials. Coward did acknowledge that if they wanted to look at text messages the probably could, but that wasn’t the point of the program, which is designed for metric analysis.
