How to check if your Android phone uses Carrier IQ
More than 141 million smartphones are now running software that can log everything a user does and sees, including private web browsing, incoming texts and even which buttons are pressed. The application, called Carrier IQ, runs in the background unbeknownst to consumers and captures user and phone data as evidenced in this video shown on Wednesday. So how do you know if your handset is running the Carrier IQ software?
While details of how widespread Carrier IQ’s service are still coming to light, all the demonstrations so far have shown it on Google Android phones. There is some evidence Apple’s iOS had Carrier IQ integration two years ago, but no data showing it’s currently in use. For now then, the focus is on Android, and there’s an application that can tell you if Carrier IQ is on your Android phone.
The free software is available from the XDA-Developers site, where Carrier IQ’s activity was first pointed out. The app, pointed out by TheVerge, is bare-bones and was quickly developed by Trevor Eckhart, the person who demonstrated on video exactly what Carrier IQ is capable of. His detection software is called an .apk file, which is the standard Google Android application installation method, so don’t panic if you’re not familiar with the term .apk.
Eckhart has several versions of the software available at the bottom of the XDA topic page; at last check, I saw seven, because he added more security detection features as he developed the app. The one of most interest, however, is the Carrier IQ check, which is performed with a button tap after the app is installed.
I ran Eckhart’s app on my Samsung Galaxy Tab and Google Nexus One; both are free of Carrier IQ software, but I expected that. Both devices run custom versions of Android I installed myself. Carrier IQ is installed in the software versions from either a carrier or a hardware maker, and since I’ve overwritten their software, there’s practically zero chance my devices are spying on me.
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You should clarify:
You can only use the tool to check for Carrier IQ if your phone is ROOTED, which is definitely not the norm.
David, you’re absolutely correct; thanks for pointing that out! Updating with a clarification.
Is there any ways to resolve if my phone has IQ Carrier without rooting the phone? Switch off 3G and analyze WiFi traffic?
Voodoo Carrier IQ detector on Android Apps.
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!
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. ;)
Good application. Evo 3d running MIUI. No Carrier IQ, as expected.
http://free-android-application.blogspot.com/