Comments on: How to check if your Android phone uses Carrier IQ

By: androidcandy

androidcandy — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:51:27 +0000

Good application. Evo 3d running MIUI. No Carrier IQ, as expected.

http://free-android-application.blogspot.com/

By: Cass Pangell

Cass Pangell — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:02:04 +0000

RT @rhsdev: RT @jimcramer: How to check if your Android phone uses CarrierIQ http://t.co/iWztXdTO

By: MyInfoSnap

MyInfoSnap — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:00:03 +0000

How to check if your Android phone uses CarrierIQ — Mobile Technology News http://t.co/c6FT1r0J

By: Mike A

Mike A — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 07:16:31 +0000

How to check if your Android phone uses Carrier IQ http://t.co/QY0LNyqm

By: Adeline Chua

Adeline Chua — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:50:18 +0000

How to check if your Android phone uses CarrierIQ http://t.co/y35DAjIB

By: Pixie Melfi

Pixie Melfi — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:36:21 +0000

RT @wnknisely: “How to check if your Android phone uses CarrierIQ” http://t.co/9cBinbzA

By: Thomas K.

Thomas K. — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:06:36 +0000

How to check if your Android phone uses Carrier IQ http://t.co/AlZPXdIr

By: Roger L. Waggener

Roger L. Waggener — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:14:08 +0000

RT @textually: How to check if your Android phone uses Carrier IQ http://t.co/zUt4Gyjn

By: Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin C. Tofel — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:33:58 +0000

Justice, great comment and there are many fingers to point when it comes to consumer privacy. Yes, Google has had issues there, but I find the Carrier IQ situation a bit worse. Why? Because it’s invisible and consumers have no control over it. Google does collect consumer data; it always has. A key difference however, is that you *can* control how much data it collects, either by not using its products, using browsers in a private mode or simply managing privacy controls / opting out, etc… I’m not giving Google — or any company, really — a free pass here. This is an important issue.

Sure we can look at Flurry for app instrumentation. But don’t all third-party apps on all mobile platforms have some type of instrumentation — either native or through a 3rd party — or some ad network tracking things? They do and we know they do. Plus they have clear privacy policies. The Carrier IQ situation is a little different; at least from where I stand.

Not sure I understand the “declared Fanboy” of Google. Yes, I use many Google products and have used a Nexus One since January 2010. I also own an iPad, iPod touch, and retired my Nexus with an iPhone 4S. Bought a Palm Pre when it came out and have an HP TouchPad. In November, I purchased a used Windows Phone device, which I love; especially since the Mango software update. I use all devices and services that work for me; not because of what company made them. ;)

By: Justice

Justice — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:08:42 +0000

Good discussion Kevin, but I still find this highly ironic that you talk about protecting people’s privacy from the evil of the carrier and it’s IQ partner, while your favorite company on earth, the company of which you are a declared Fanboy (that’s Google if that wasn’t clear)along with the Facebooks of the world, is the epitomy of intruding on your personal information and providing it to 3rd parties- and we are talking about really personal information like your contacts, e-mails and other content. Did you ever check how much Google itself is actually tracking your Android phone? why did Trevor Eckhart not check into that? With very simple tools you can clearly see that a LOT of data is sent in the background from your Android phone to Google servers. But Google is the good guy, not like these evil carriers…
What about the solutions like Flurry that instrument an app itself to track what the user is doing within the app? is that not “spying on you without your knowledge”? did you ever look into that?
In fact, every second app downloaded from the market asks for intrusive permissions, including tracking your location, and as you say 95% of people don’t read the permissions and don’t care being tracked. As you say yourself, a lot of similar stuff is being done on PCs and no one cares a bit
So the discussion is hysterical and gone completely paranoid, where suddenly everyone found the one “satan” to vent their frustration at! An analyst like you Kevin, needs to promote fair and balanced discussion of this issue in the proper broader privacy protection context.

And may I also say, Trevor Eckart himself is behaving completely unfairly with all kinds of childish and naive statements like “on airplane mode using Wifi, I am not on Sprint’s service, so why do they still track my usage? The carrier service is the 3G network, right?” – what a foolish, childish statement! As if the device itself and also the software on it are not part of a whole package that is offered, subsidized and supported by the carrier.

And BTW, I don’t work for CarrierIQ or for any carrier!