If you pay attention to the consumer privacy world or the smartphone world, you might have heard the recent swirl about something called “Carrier IQ”.  I figured our readers might like a little info to be informed and understand what’s going on here.

CarrierIQ is a piece of software that can run on mobile devices and collect information.  Ostensively, it is used by – surprise – cellular carriers to collect information to help manage their cell phone networks.  A developer, Trevor Eckhart, discovered the package on Android phones and determined that it has the ability to not only collect nominal usage statistics for carriers’ use but also what apps are launched, what websites one visits, texts that one sends and even keystrokes.  It has been found on Nokia, HTC, BlackBerry and Samsung smartphones and more recently on the iPhone.  Apple claims that it stopped using CarrierIQ in iOS 5 and it should be removed from all iPhones in a forthcoming software update.  Nokia and RIM spokespeople are denying they put or allow CarrierIQ on their devices even though evidence shows it.  Other device manufacturers admit to having it on the device and admit to various usages: some just for the carriers they partner with and others actually collect limited data from the software.

CarrierIQ discussed the package early in this controversy but has since gone quiet and only issued a weak statement.  It appears that they strip out all identifying information before data gets sent from the mobile device back to the carrier.  With the variety of statements about its usage and whether or not it is “allowed” on devices, this story will continue to have legs.  Mobile devices will only grow in usage and between this issue and the push by the Obama Adminsitration to claim that individuals should not have the expectation of privacy for the data – or at least the data pertaining to the location – on your mobile devices, it should prove an interesting debate.

Having said all of that, one should consider what expectations of privacy one is comfortable with and what actions is the individual taking that could be undermining that by their own doing.  For example, have you ever read through someone’s Facebook posts and profile?  A lot of private data can be gleaned from it.  Are you a fan of being Mayor of the Springfield Library’s 4th stall and check in regularly with FourSquare?  This is the changing world that we’re facing with the explosion of social media.  It’s also, in my opinion, an underlying current that is powering the rift between politcal slants in the country – but in a broad, abstract way.  It’s the stuggle between the power of information and one’s personal liberty and privacy.  Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and others realize that social interactions and media will be the driver of future technology and a major component to the economy (or what’s left of it).  They are working to control the information: collect it, control access to it, connect it, and, yes, exploit it.  Being “off the grid” is growing harder and harder – both technologically and socially.

GorT

GorT is an eight-foot-tall robot from the 51ˢᵗ Century who routinely time-travels to steal expensive technology from the future and return it to the past for retroinvention. The profits from this pay all the Gormogons’ bills, including subsidizing this website. Some of the products he has introduced from the future include oven mitts, the Guinness widget, Oxy-Clean, and Dr. Pepper. Due to his immense cybernetic brain, GorT is able to produce a post in 0.023 seconds and research it in even less time. Only ’Puter spends less time on research. GorT speaks entirely in zeros and ones, but occasionally throws in a ڭ to annoy the Volgi. He is a massive proponent of science, technology, and energy development, and enjoys nothing more than taking the Czar’s more interesting scientific theories, going into the past, publishing them as his own, and then returning to take credit for them. He is the only Gormogon who is capable of doing math. Possessed of incredible strength, he understands the awesome responsibility that follows and only uses it to hurt people.