A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Path Intelligence, a British marketing company its software to track customers and their shopping habits through their smart phones while at shopping malls. Today, another software company, Carrier IQ is making headlines. Apple, CIQ and 6 other mobile technology companies have been named in a class-action lawsuit for using CIQ’s technology. Carrier IQ is deeply embedded into the phone itself, difficult to detect, and hard to remove from mobile devices. Removal is not recommended without specific user privileges. And from CIQ’s home page is this stated purpose: “…we give wireless carriers and Handset Manufacturers unprecedented insight into their customer’s mobile experience.”
Though the company claims it does not intercept messages, the lawsuit claims the technology is a keylogger program and as such, does log keystrokes and could record and transmit personal text messages and information. Th company’s ability to not only record but capture text messages robs the cell phone user of right of personal privacy.
The whole issue may have gone relatively unnoticed had not blogger Trevor Eckhart published findings (including videos) illustrating just what Carrier IQs programming was capable of capturing. CIQ sent Trevor threatening legal communication which immediately backfired. Their apology was not accepted.
This lawsuit has been filed on behalf of four individuals claiming violation of Federal Wiretap A, as well as two more federal statutes.
CIQ – can you hear me? Opt me out!
