PC World (Link) - Ian Paul (December 2, 2011)
Carrier IQ, the mobile diagnostic company recently accused of installing rootkits on more than 140 million devices worldwide, says it’s using its software for good, not evil. But some critics suggest CIQ’s software may violate federal wiretap laws, a charge CIQ vehemently denies.
Meanwhile, the mobile industry including device makers and carriers are trying to put as much distance as possible between their products and Carrier IQ.
Congress is also getting on in the action with Senator Al Franken (D-Minnesota) demanding that CIQ explain its business practices within the next 12 days.
How We Got Here
In mid-November, security researcher Trevor Eckhart published a report accusing CIQ of installing malware on more than 140 million devices worldwide. Eckhart later published a video on YouTube showing CIQ’s software secretly running in the background and monitoring a variety of handset activity on an HTC device including key presses, browsing history, SMS logs, and location data.
Carrier IQ said its software is merely a diagnostic tool to improve service quality.
Continue reading "Carrier IQ, Mobile Services Grilled over Spyware Charges" »
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