From We Are Change Missouri.
It’s not only governments that track where you are. Private companies do it too; and sometimes they work together.
We all heard the people out there that do not like Facebook’s privacy policy (or website changes), or Google’s Adsense policies which tailor advertising to your browsing habits and search history, which require tracking. The difference with that stuff is; you have to voluntarily feed them information. Google will not track your browsing or search history until you either sign up for a Google Account or use Google Chrome. When you sign up for Facebook, you don’t HAVE to fill in all the fields. They make it very blatant that they use the info you give them for advertising purposes. That is not the case with the new hidden software found in Google’s Android smartphone operating system, labelled Carrier IQ. The link given is to the Verge’s live updating story line, where each update pertaining to this new-found software appears. We advise following it.
Carrier IQ was first discovered by a member of the XDA developer forums, a forum for software development geeks. He (or she) found some code being loaded at the kernel level, which is the lowest level software can go. It’ s what’s called a “Kernel Module” and it allows the software to be loaded before your phone reaches the lock screen. It’s part of the initial loading process. This means that the software starts tracking stuff the minute you unlock your phone. Carrier IQ acts as middleware to assist carriers and manufacturers in tracking mobile user habits. The company responsible for the software never has stated that it does not track user data, but this video proves otherwise. The forum member that found the software got cease-and-desist letters from the company responsible; but he has yet to stop.
Carrier IQ has also been found on the iPhone, but it is switched off by default and turning on Location Services does not turn it on. It seems to be mainly just a diagnostics assistant, and the diagnostics tool on iOS does not collect personal data. Also, all devices designed in partnership with Google do not use the Carrier IQ software, meaning the Google Nexus, Nexus S, and Galaxy Nexus do not use it; as well as the original Motorola Xoom.
Nokia and Verizon also deny use of the software.
You can use a piece of software on your phone to detect the use of Carrier IQ.
Too often lately we see stories of large business prying into our affairs so it can sell more goods. Now Google, though a new program, is attempting to go clean about this by paying you for spying on your online activities. It's now the common marketing technique of most of the company now,
Would you give up your online privacy in order to earn benefits? Well, Carrier IQ might be different but still they entail a common idea, that is spying on our activities.