Revolution Messaging

Here at Revolution Messaging we have made it a priority to support a safe, secure and open Internet experience for all users. Now we’re reminding our friends and family to be vigilant and demand a safe and secure mobile experience as well. Your mobile privacy is at risk, and it is up to concerned users like you to help spread the word!

A piece of software found on mobile devices, called Carrier IQ, could be storing personal data and tracking mobile users’ experience, and sending this information straight to the carriers. According to PC World, this software was discovered by security researcher Trevor Eckhart who published a report accusing the company of preloading this software on a number of different smartphones (without the consumers’ knowledge), where it could allow carriers to keep track of “key presses, browsing history, SMS logs, and location data without the users knowledge.”

First discovered on Sprint phones back in September, which prompted the first round of lawsuits, Carrier IQ is raising concerns not only with customers, but also with legislators. According to FierceMobileContent, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn) sent Carrier IQ a letter asking them to answer questions about its questionable data collection practices by December 14^th.

Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass), co-Chair of the Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, also got involved by starting to lobby the Federal Trade Commission to look into the firm’s practices. In addition to earlier lawsuits against Sprint in September, multiple law firms jointly filed a class action lawsuit in a Delaware Federal Court against Apple, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Carrier IQ, deeming this a “cell phone tracking software scandal.”

 AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile admitted to using Carrier IQ, but just to improve their network performance. Apple also said they used this software, but announced they stopped supporting the software in iPhones and will take it off all future iPhones. Verizon, RIM and Nokia denied using this software on their devices.

Carrier IQ denies that it stores and sends private user data. Last week, they released a statement saying “operators use Carrier IQ software only to diagnose operational problems on networks and mobile devices,” and that they are a “consumer advocate to the mobile operator.”

“The software receives a huge amount of information from the operating system,” Andrew Coward, Carrier IQ’s VP of marketing, told AllThingsD. “But just because it receives it doesn’t mean that it’s being used to gather intelligence about the user or passed along to the carrier.”

Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit consumer education and advocacy organization, is also involved, petitioning the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission to look into this issue as well. This issue has also been recognized internationally; groups across Europe are looking into this issue to make sure mobile users’ privacy isn’t being compromised.  The lawsuit being filed jointly in the Delaware Federal Court says that Carrier IQ and the associated carriers violated the Federal Wiretap Act, the Stored Electronic Communications Act, and the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

“This latest revelation of corporate America’s brazen disregard for the digital privacy rights of its customers is yet another example of the escalating erosion of liberty in this country,” David Straite, one of the lawyers leading this crusade, said in a statement. ”We are hopeful that the courts will allow ordinary customers the opportunity to remedy this outrageous breach.”

This isn’t something we as mobile consumers should take lightly. While Carrier IQ claims they are not collecting private data and sharing this information with carriers without our knowledge, there is a need for a thorough investigation into this issue. As consumers, we can’t stand idly by and watch from the sidelines, we must demand for a safe space in the mobile world and educate others of the different dangers we are now seeing. Protecting consumer privacy should always be the number one priority and right now, finding out the truth behind Carrier IQ’s software is a must.