fbpx
Wikipedia

Carrier IQ

February 14, 2024

Carrier IQ was a privately owned mobile software company founded in 2005 in Sunnyvale, California. It provided diagnostic analysis of smartphones to the wireless industry via the installation of software on the user's phone, typically in a manner that cannot be removed without rooting the phone. The company says that its software is deployed in over 150 million devices worldwide.[4][5]

Carrier IQ, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryMobile telecommunications
PredecessorCore Mobility
Founded2005
FounderKonstantin Othmer[1][2][3]
DefunctDecember 31, 2015 (2015-12-31)
FateAcquired by AT&T Inc.
Headquarters
Mountain View, California
,
United States
Number of locations
London
Malaysia
ProductsEmbedded diagnostic/data collection software
ServicesMobile analytics services
Websitewww.carrieriq.com[dead link]

History edit

The company was founded by Konstantin Othmer and is a spin-off from his Core Mobility company. Through its MSIP its software "aggregates, analyzes, and delivers data to wireless carriers and device manufacturers. This information proves a valuable resource for these businesses to understand the quality of service their customers experience."[1]

On January 27, 2009, CEO Mark Quinlivan announced Carrier IQ had received $20 million Series C financing from Intel Capital, and Presidio Ventures, a Sumitomo Corporation Company.[6]

On February 9, 2009, Carrier IQ announced a partnership with Huawei Technologies to develop a "new range of data cards that will provide improved feedback on the mobile broadband user experience."[7]

On February 17, 2009, NEC and Carrier IQ announced a global partnership.[8]

On June 17, 2009, Carrier IQ was selected by TiE as a TiE50 award winner as "One of the Hottest Global Emerging Companies."[9]

On June 16, 2010, Bridgescale Partners announced $12 million in Series D financing for the company.[10]

On October 18, 2010, VisionMobile announced Carrier IQ had joined the "100 Million Club" with its software installed on 100 million phones.[11]

On March 22, 2011, Carrier IQ announced Mobile Intelligence for 4G technologies, including LTE and HSPA+.[12]

On August 31, 2011, Operating Partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures Larry Lenhart was named CEO. The announcement noted that in the second quarter of 2011 Carrier IQ passed the petabyte milestone in processed analytics data.[13]

On October 19, 2011, Carrier IQ and third party vendor Nielsen Company announced a partnership on analyzing data.[14]

On October 27, 2011, IDC named Carrier IQ "Innovative Business Analytics Company Under $100M"[15]

On November 12, 2011, Trevor Eckhart published a report indicating that Carrier IQ software was capable of recording various metrics, including user keystrokes.[16]

At Mobile World Congress 2012, Carrier IQ announced an extension to its IQ Care product with a "customer-facing dashboard", relaying information that they'd usually send to wireless companies—such as battery life, network coverage, app's effect on phone performance, and dropped calls coverage—directly to consumers in an effort to reduce technical support calls.[17][18]

On December 30, 2015, it was reported that AT&T Inc. had acquired Carrier IQ's software assets and some of its staff, effectively shutting down the company. AT&T had been a customer of Carrier IQ's for several years, using the software to troubleshoot wireless quality on their customers' mobile phones.[19]

Board of directors edit

Its board of directors in November 2011 were:[20]

Products edit

IQ Agent is software, typically pre-installed on mobile devices by handset manufacturers or network operators, designed to gather, store and forward diagnostic measurements on their behalf. Data available can include metrics on the device itself (e.g., firmware, battery levels, application performance, web performance) and performance data on voice and data connectivity between the device and radio towers. The mobile device manufacturers or network operators determine which of these metrics are actually collected, according to a set of criteria known as a "profile."[21] The IQ Agent software runs in the background, and the user is not usually aware of its presence unless the implementation includes an on-off switch.[22]

IQ Agent periodically uploads data to a Carrier IQ Mobile Service Intelligence Platform (MSIP) system, which then feeds into the network operator's network performance monitoring and diagnostic tools. Whenever a mobile device uploads data, the IQ Agent can also download a new profile to change the selection of metrics gathered.

IQ Agent was first shipped in 2006 on embedded feature phones and has since been implemented on numerous devices and operating systems, including smartphones (Android, RIM,[23] iPhone), USB modems and tablets.

MSIP (Mobile Service Intelligence Platform) refers to the backend Carrier IQ software that receives mobile device diagnostic data directly from mobile devices containing the IQ Agent software. The platform aggregates data from many devices and produces KPIs (key performance indicators) that network operators and mobile device manufacturers can use to assess the quality of services they provide and to troubleshoot mobile device and network problems.

Analytics Domains are MSIP components that enable the system to calculate specific KPIs. Carrier IQ's first analytics domains were on CDMA signaling, later implementing UMTS (third-generation mobile cellular technology for GSM networks), LTE (a standard marketed as 4G LTE) and device-specific domains for device stability, battery and application performance.

IQ Insight is a suite of applications that gathers, analyzes and presents KPIs generated by MSIP through a web-based GUI (graphical user interface). The application delivers data through a geospatial or tabular view of issues (such as dropped calls or no-service conditions) and allows cross-domain analysis of KPIs.

IQ Care is a dashboard tool for network operator and mobile device customer care agents. When a mobile device user calls for support or troubleshooting, IQ Care provides the customer care agent with a dashboard showing the consumer's device configurations (e.g., mobile device serial number, firmware version), usage history (e.g., number of applications installed, battery life) and other user experience metrics (e.g., device and application crash data, radio technology analytics).

Rootkit discovery and media attention edit

On November 12, 2011, researcher Trevor Eckhart[24] stated in a post on androidsecuritytest.com[25] that Carrier IQ was logging information such as location without notifying users or allowing them to opt out,[26] and that the information tracked included detailed keystroke logs,[27] potentially violating US federal law.[28] On November 16, 2011, Carrier IQ sent Eckhart a cease and desist letter claiming that he was in copyright infringement by posting Carrier IQ training documents on his website and also making "false allegations."[29][30] Eckhart sought and received the backing of user rights advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

On November 23, 2011, Carrier IQ backed down and apologized.[31] In the statement of apology, Carrier IQ denied allegations of keystroke logging and other forms of tracking, and offered to work with the EFF.[32]

On November 28, 2011, Eckhart published a YouTube video that demonstrates Carrier IQ software in the act of logging, as plain text, a variety of keystrokes. Included in the demonstration were clear-text captures of passwords to otherwise secure websites, and activities performed when the cellular network was disabled.[33] The video of the demonstration showed Carrier IQ's software processing keystrokes, browser data, and text messages' contents, but there was no indication that the information processed was recorded or transmitted. Carrier IQ responded with the statement, "The metrics and tools we derive are not designed to deliver such information, nor do we have any intention of developing such tools."[34] A datasheet for a product called Experience Manager on Carrier IQ's public website clearly states carriers can "Capture a vast array of experience data including screen transitions, button presses, service interactions and anomalies".[35]

Legal actions against Carrier IQ edit

Many have already been seeking suit against Carrier IQ, including:

Detection and removal edit

Numerous apps have been released that can detect the Carrier IQ. Detecting Carrier IQ normally doesn't require the device to be rooted. The removal process is more advanced and requires the user to root the device, or unlock the device's boot loader (applies only on Nexus devices) in order to remove it. Rooting the device may void its warranty, since system files are modified.

Updates edit

On December 12, 2011, Carrier IQ released a document to explain their software and its uses. The document is titled "Understanding Carrier IQ Technology".[38] There are credits given to Dan Rosenberg and Trevor Eckhart. The nineteen-page document provides a technical breakdown of how the software on a mobile phone works with "profiles" provided by the carrier to give the carriers performance data of their networks and devices running on them. The document appears as if it will be updated on a regular basis as more questions are answered over time.

On December 1, 2011, Carrier IQ issued a "clarification" to its November 23 statements: "While a few individuals have identified that there is a great deal of information available to the Carrier IQ software inside the handset, our software does not record, store or transmit the contents of SMS messages, email, photographs, audio or video. For example, we understand whether an SMS was sent accurately, but do not record or transmit the content of the SMS. We know which applications are draining your battery, but do not capture the screen ... As a condition of its contracts with operators, Carrier IQ operates exclusively within that framework and under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction. The data we gather is transmitted over an encrypted channel and secured within our customers' networks or in our audited and customer-approved facilities ... Carrier IQ acts as an agent for the operators. Each implementation is different and the diagnostic information actually gathered is determined by our customers – the mobile operators. Carrier IQ does not gather any other data from devices.

Carrier IQ is the consumer advocate to the mobile operator, explaining what works and what does not work. Three of the main complaints we hear from mobile device users are (1) dropped calls, (2) poor customer service, and (3) having to constantly recharge the device. Our software allows operators to figure out why problems are occurring, why calls are dropped, and how to extend the life of the battery. When a user calls to complain about a problem, our software helps operators' customer service to more quickly identify the specific issue with the phone."[39]

There has been debate whether Carrier IQ software actually sends the collected data in real time or if it is stored on the phone and only gets read out later. The company clearly states on its web page that its software is able to provide real-time data: "Carrier IQ's Mobile Service Intelligence solution eliminates guesswork by automatically providing accurate, real-time data direct from the source – your customers' handsets.".[40]

In February 2012, TelecomTV, in association with Carrier IQ, filmed a panel discussion/debate [41] titled, 'The Data Dilemma' and addressing the question: Do operators collect user data for the benefit of their customer or for their own commercial and financial betterment? Participants in the videotaped panel discussion were Mike Short, Vice President, Telefónica Europe; Dean Bubley, Founder, Disruptive Analysis; Charlotte Patric, Principal Analyst, Gartner; and Martyn Warwick, Moderator, TelecomTV.

On May 8, 2012, Carrier IQ appointed a Chief Privacy Officer: Magnolia Mobley, formerly Verizon's Lead Privacy Counsel. This news spurred a new round of articles and discussions about privacy in mobile communications.[42][43][44][45]

In February 2015, HTC One users began reporting that the Carrier IQ agent software was overriding GPS device settings in order to obtain location information even when the GPS was turned off.[46][47][48][49][50]

Analytics and Carrier IQ edit

Generally speaking, analytics companies collect, synthesize, and present aggregated user information to their customers to help them reduce maintenance costs, increase revenue, and improve the performance of a particular product. Mobile analytics provide to their customers telemetry. The telemetry is important because it contains solutions related to mobile web and telephone services. For instance, if a particular application on a mobile device crashes, the logs can be sent showing specific details of the issue. It is also possible that telemetry related to mobile handset user webpage views and click behavior is also included[51]

Problems with Carrier IQ's clarification edit

While the contents of SMS messages are kept private, as the clarification states, the simple reporting of the success or failure of an SMS transmission provides valuable information about customer habits that would not normally be available outside of the cellular network itself.

Because the information is transmitted over the web on a regular basis, an internet service provider will be able see entries in the named.log file that resides on its name server at times when any user with an affected phone is connected to the internet by WiFi. This method of connecting is extremely common, as many users seek to keep their cellular data charges as low as possible by also utilizing their home or corporate wireless networks.

A likely privacy violation is targeted marketing by the home or company's internet service provider. Examples of possible targeted marketing include offering competing phone plans, android apps that facilitate additional sales, such as television guides, and even hardware sales, like faster or integrated WiFi routers.

In short, because of the way Carrier IQ works, even if the company acts with the best of intentions, the software betrays users by leaking information outside of the control of either Carrier IQ or the affected user's phone company.

Distribution edit

On December 1, 2011, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile confirmed it was on their phones. Sprint said, "We collect enough information to understand the customer experience with devices on our network and how to address any connection problems, but we do not and cannot look at the contents of messages, photos, videos, etc., using this tool ... The information collected is not sold and we don't provide a direct feed of this data to anyone outside of Sprint." Verizon was the only one of the four biggest U.S. firms to say it was not installed on their phones.[52]

Apple, HTC, and Samsung said the software was installed on their phones. Apple said it had quit supporting the application in iOS 5. It said, "With any diagnostic data sent to Apple, customers must actively opt-in to share this information ... We never recorded keystrokes, messages or any other personal information for diagnostic data and have no plans to ever do so." It said it would scrub the software from phones in some future release.[53] HTC (whose Android phone was the subject of Eckhart's video) said, it was required on its devices by a "number of U.S. carriers." It added "It is important to note that HTC is not a customer or partner of Carrier IQ and does not receive data from the application, the company, or carriers that partner with Carrier IQ."[52]

Nokia and Research in Motion (now BlackBerry Ltd) have said Carrier IQ categorically was not authorized for their phones.[52]

According to the company's website the software is also installed on NEC mobile devices,[54] and the company has a partnership with Vodafone Portugal.[55]

Although the phone manufacturers and carriers by and large say the software is strictly used to monitor its phone systems and not to be used by third parties, a press release on October 19, 2011 touted a partnership with Nielsen Company. The press release said, "Together, they will deliver critical insights into the consumer experience of mobile phone and tablet users worldwide, which adhere to Nielsen's measurement science and privacy standards. This alliance will leverage Carrier IQ's technology platform to gather actionable intelligence on the performance of mobile devices and networks."[56]

Government response edit

On December 1, 2011, Senator Al Franken, chairman of the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law sent a letter to Lenhart asking for answers to 11 questions and asking whether the company was in violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, including the federal wiretap statute (18 U.S.C. § 2511 et seq.), the pen register statute (18 USC § 3121 et seq.), and the Stored Communications Act (18 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq.) and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. § 1030).[57]

A request to the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act for "any manuals, documents or other written guidance used to access or analyze data gathered by programs developed or deployed by Carrier IQ" was denied, citing pending law enforcement proceeding. This has led to speculation that the FBI is using data obtained through Carrier IQ for investigations.[58]

Security responses edit

Fortinet has deemed Carrier IQ as a security risk/rootkit,[59] using definition Riskware/CarrierIQ!Android.[60]

Paper shared with Senate clarifying .

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Carrier IQ, Inc., PrivCo.com
  2. ^ Konstantin Othmer 2011-11-30 at the Wayback Machine, Our Team, Seraph Group
  3. ^ US 6167358, Othmer, Konstantin & Derossi, Chris, "System and method for remotely monitoring a plurality of computer-based systems", published December 26, 2000 
  4. ^ Carrier IQ Named as an Innovative Business Analytics Company Under $100M to Watch 2018-07-23 at the Wayback Machine, Mountain View, CA, October 27, 2011
  5. ^ Carrier IQ apologizes, drops threat to security researcher, by Stephen Shankland, 2011/11/25, CNET News.com
  6. ^ (PDF). www.carrieriq.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  8. ^ . GoMoNews. Archived from the original on 2009-12-01. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  9. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2012-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-31. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  11. ^ (PDF). 14 December 2011 . Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2011. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ (PDF). 26 March 2012 . Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2019. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ (PDF). 13 January 2012 . Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ (PDF). 31 January 2012 . Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  16. ^ Vijayan, Jaikumar (2011-12-01). "FAQ: Behind the Carrier IQ rootkit controversy". Computerworld. from the original on 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  17. ^ Goldman, David (February 28, 2012). "Carrier IQ: You should know what your phone knows about you". CNNMoney. from the original on 2012-02-28.
  18. ^ Ziegler, Chris (2012-02-27). "Carrier IQ lets carriers open their network quality stats to subscribers". The Verge. from the original on 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  19. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (December 30, 2015). "AT&T Snaps Up Assets, Talent From Carrier iQ, Phone Monitoring Startup Goes Offline". TechCrunch. from the original on 2015-12-30. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  20. ^ . Carrier IQ. Archived from the original on 2011-11-30. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  21. ^ . Archived from the original on 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  22. ^ "Update:How to turn off Carrier IQ on your iPhone". Computerworld. December 2, 2011.
  23. ^ . GigaOm. December 21, 2011. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  24. ^ "About Trevor Eckhart". 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  25. ^ "Home to Logging Test App". Android Security Test. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  26. ^ How much of your phone is yours? 2012-06-26 at the Wayback Machine, By: Russell Holly, 2011/11/15, Geek.com
  27. ^ Researcher's Video Shows Secret Software on Millions of Phones Logging Everything, By David Kravets, 2011/11/29, Wired.
  28. ^ Andy Greenberg (2011-11-30). "Phone 'Rootkit' Maker Carrier IQ May Have Violated Wiretap Law In Millions Of Cases". Forbes. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  29. ^ Case details
  30. ^ Carrier IQ Tries to Censor Research With Baseless Legal Threat, By Marcia Hofmann, 2011/11/21, EFF.org
  31. ^ Carrier IQ Drops Empty Legal Threat, Apologizes to Security Researcher, By Marcia Hofmann, 2011/11/23, EFF.org
  32. ^ Carrier IQ Press Statement 2011-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, November 23, 2011, (Carrier IQ official response to incident)
  33. ^ Goodin, Dan (November 30, 2011). "Busted! Secret app on millions of phones logs key taps". The Register.
  34. ^ Peckham, Matt (December 1, 2011). "Carrier IQ 'Wiretap' Debacle: Much Ado About Something?". Techland. Time.
  35. ^ IQ Insight Experience Manager 2011-11-17 at the Wayback Machine, Product Overview (PDF:2009), Carrier IQ.
  36. ^ "tasmaniangothic". tasmaniangothic.
  37. ^ "Class action suit against Carrier IQ". Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  38. ^ . Carrier IQ. Archived from the original on 2013-07-31. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  39. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2011-12-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  40. ^ . Carrier IQ. Archived from the original on 2011-12-06. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  41. ^ "Second Look: Controversial spyware company Carrier IQ kicks off privacy discussion on TelecomTV". 2016-01-08. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  42. ^ Why transparency is crucial to the success of mobility by Wayne Rash, FierceMobileIT
  43. ^ Remember Carrier IQ? Well, It's Still Around and Kicking. by Ina Fried, All Things D
  44. ^ Can Carrier IQ's new Chief Privacy Officer build a 'culture of privacy'? by Dieter Bohn, The Verge
  45. ^ Gorman, Michael (May 9, 2012). "Carrier IQ hires former Verizon privacy counsel Magnolia Mobley as Chief Privacy Officer". Engadget. from the original on 2020-05-20. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  46. ^ "GPS turns on by itself after Android 4.4.4 update". 26 February 2015.
  47. ^ "Massive Battery Drain - GPS is on constantly". 19 February 2015.
  48. ^ "HTC M8 Agent IQ Battery Drain?". 27 February 2015.
  49. ^ "At&t m8 GPS problem". 25 February 2015.
  50. ^ "PSA - AT&T HTC One M8 GPS Battery Drain Problem Caused by Android System IQ Agent". 2 March 2015.
  51. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  52. ^ a b c Jaikumar Vijayan (December 1, 2011). "AT&T, Sprint confirm use of Carrier IQ software on handsets". Computerworld.com. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  53. ^ . Macworld.co.uk. 2011-12-02. Archived from the original on 2012-06-06. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  54. ^ NEC and Carrier IQ Announce Global Partner 2012-01-31 at the Wayback Machine, February 17, 2009, Carrier IQ.
  55. ^ News Release: Vodafone Portugal Pioneers Innovative Mobile Broadband Experience Management Architecture Using Carrier IQ Technology 2011-12-19 at the Wayback Machine, July 31, 2009, Carrier IQ.
  56. ^ Nielsen and Carrier IQ Form Global Alliance to Measure Mobile Service Quality 2011-12-15 at the Wayback Machine, October 19, 2011, Carrier IQ.
  57. ^ . Franken.senate.gov. 2011-12-01. Archived from the original on 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  58. ^ Loftus, Tom (December 13, 2011). "Carrier IQ Fights Speculation Around FBI Link". The Wall Street Journal.
  59. ^ . Archived from the original on 2011-12-13. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
  60. ^ . Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2011-12-14.

External links edit

  • Security researcher responds to CarrierIQ with video proof of keylogging- Geek.com 2012-07-01 at the Wayback Machine

February 14, 2024
carrier, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, appears, slanted, towards, recent, events, please, keep, recent, events, historical, perspective. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article appears to be slanted towards recent events Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non recent events December 2011 This article may be unbalanced towards certain viewpoints Please improve the article by adding information on neglected viewpoints or discuss the issue on the talk page December 2011 This article contains instructions advice or how to content Please help rewrite the content so that it is more encyclopedic or move it to Wikiversity Wikibooks or Wikivoyage March 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Carrier IQ was a privately owned mobile software company founded in 2005 in Sunnyvale California It provided diagnostic analysis of smartphones to the wireless industry via the installation of software on the user s phone typically in a manner that cannot be removed without rooting the phone The company says that its software is deployed in over 150 million devices worldwide 4 5 Carrier IQ Inc Company typePrivateIndustryMobile telecommunicationsPredecessorCore MobilityFounded2005FounderKonstantin Othmer 1 2 3 DefunctDecember 31 2015 2015 12 31 FateAcquired by AT amp T Inc HeadquartersMountain View California United StatesNumber of locationsLondonMalaysiaProductsEmbedded diagnostic data collection softwareServicesMobile analytics servicesWebsitewww wbr carrieriq wbr com dead link Contents 1 History 2 Board of directors 3 Products 4 Rootkit discovery and media attention 4 1 Legal actions against Carrier IQ 4 2 Detection and removal 4 3 Updates 4 3 1 Analytics and Carrier IQ 4 4 Problems with Carrier IQ s clarification 4 5 Distribution 4 6 Government response 4 7 Security responses 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory editThe company was founded by Konstantin Othmer and is a spin off from his Core Mobility company Through its MSIP its software aggregates analyzes and delivers data to wireless carriers and device manufacturers This information proves a valuable resource for these businesses to understand the quality of service their customers experience 1 On January 27 2009 CEO Mark Quinlivan announced Carrier IQ had received 20 million Series C financing from Intel Capital and Presidio Ventures a Sumitomo Corporation Company 6 On February 9 2009 Carrier IQ announced a partnership with Huawei Technologies to develop a new range of data cards that will provide improved feedback on the mobile broadband user experience 7 On February 17 2009 NEC and Carrier IQ announced a global partnership 8 On June 17 2009 Carrier IQ was selected by TiE as a TiE50 award winner as One of the Hottest Global Emerging Companies 9 On June 16 2010 Bridgescale Partners announced 12 million in Series D financing for the company 10 On October 18 2010 VisionMobile announced Carrier IQ had joined the 100 Million Club with its software installed on 100 million phones 11 On March 22 2011 Carrier IQ announced Mobile Intelligence for 4G technologies including LTE and HSPA 12 On August 31 2011 Operating Partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures Larry Lenhart was named CEO The announcement noted that in the second quarter of 2011 Carrier IQ passed the petabyte milestone in processed analytics data 13 On October 19 2011 Carrier IQ and third party vendor Nielsen Company announced a partnership on analyzing data 14 On October 27 2011 IDC named Carrier IQ Innovative Business Analytics Company Under 100M 15 On November 12 2011 Trevor Eckhart published a report indicating that Carrier IQ software was capable of recording various metrics including user keystrokes 16 At Mobile World Congress 2012 Carrier IQ announced an extension to its IQ Care product with a customer facing dashboard relaying information that they d usually send to wireless companies such as battery life network coverage app s effect on phone performance and dropped calls coverage directly to consumers in an effort to reduce technical support calls 17 18 On December 30 2015 it was reported that AT amp T Inc had acquired Carrier IQ s software assets and some of its staff effectively shutting down the company AT amp T had been a customer of Carrier IQ s for several years using the software to troubleshoot wireless quality on their customers mobile phones 19 Board of directors editIts board of directors in November 2011 were 20 Larry Lenhart president and CEO previously with Mohr Davidow Bruce Leak co founder of WebTV Networks Jon Feiber Mohr Davidow Ventures Martin Gibson Accel Partners Bruce Sachs Charles River Ventures Dominic Endicott Nauta CapitalProducts editIQ Agent is software typically pre installed on mobile devices by handset manufacturers or network operators designed to gather store and forward diagnostic measurements on their behalf Data available can include metrics on the device itself e g firmware battery levels application performance web performance and performance data on voice and data connectivity between the device and radio towers The mobile device manufacturers or network operators determine which of these metrics are actually collected according to a set of criteria known as a profile 21 The IQ Agent software runs in the background and the user is not usually aware of its presence unless the implementation includes an on off switch 22 IQ Agent periodically uploads data to a Carrier IQ Mobile Service Intelligence Platform MSIP system which then feeds into the network operator s network performance monitoring and diagnostic tools Whenever a mobile device uploads data the IQ Agent can also download a new profile to change the selection of metrics gathered IQ Agent was first shipped in 2006 on embedded feature phones and has since been implemented on numerous devices and operating systems including smartphones Android RIM 23 iPhone USB modems and tablets MSIP Mobile Service Intelligence Platform refers to the backend Carrier IQ software that receives mobile device diagnostic data directly from mobile devices containing the IQ Agent software The platform aggregates data from many devices and produces KPIs key performance indicators that network operators and mobile device manufacturers can use to assess the quality of services they provide and to troubleshoot mobile device and network problems Analytics Domains are MSIP components that enable the system to calculate specific KPIs Carrier IQ s first analytics domains were on CDMA signaling later implementing UMTS third generation mobile cellular technology for GSM networks LTE a standard marketed as 4G LTE and device specific domains for device stability battery and application performance IQ Insight is a suite of applications that gathers analyzes and presents KPIs generated by MSIP through a web based GUI graphical user interface The application delivers data through a geospatial or tabular view of issues such as dropped calls or no service conditions and allows cross domain analysis of KPIs IQ Care is a dashboard tool for network operator and mobile device customer care agents When a mobile device user calls for support or troubleshooting IQ Care provides the customer care agent with a dashboard showing the consumer s device configurations e g mobile device serial number firmware version usage history e g number of applications installed battery life and other user experience metrics e g device and application crash data radio technology analytics Rootkit discovery and media attention editOn November 12 2011 researcher Trevor Eckhart 24 stated in a post on androidsecuritytest com 25 that Carrier IQ was logging information such as location without notifying users or allowing them to opt out 26 and that the information tracked included detailed keystroke logs 27 potentially violating US federal law 28 On November 16 2011 Carrier IQ sent Eckhart a cease and desist letter claiming that he was in copyright infringement by posting Carrier IQ training documents on his website and also making false allegations 29 30 Eckhart sought and received the backing of user rights advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation EFF On November 23 2011 Carrier IQ backed down and apologized 31 In the statement of apology Carrier IQ denied allegations of keystroke logging and other forms of tracking and offered to work with the EFF 32 On November 28 2011 Eckhart published a YouTube video that demonstrates Carrier IQ software in the act of logging as plain text a variety of keystrokes Included in the demonstration were clear text captures of passwords to otherwise secure websites and activities performed when the cellular network was disabled 33 The video of the demonstration showed Carrier IQ s software processing keystrokes browser data and text messages contents but there was no indication that the information processed was recorded or transmitted Carrier IQ responded with the statement The metrics and tools we derive are not designed to deliver such information nor do we have any intention of developing such tools 34 A datasheet for a product called Experience Manager on Carrier IQ s public website clearly states carriers can Capture a vast array of experience data including screen transitions button presses service interactions and anomalies 35 Legal actions against Carrier IQ edit Many have already been seeking suit against Carrier IQ including Commonwealth of Massachusetts criminal and civil United States Department of Justice criminal Federal Trade Commission civil Sprint Nextel civil T Mobile civil JMLECS Umbrella Companies 36 criminal and civil Hagens Berman California class action unknown 37 Detection and removal edit Numerous apps have been released that can detect the Carrier IQ Detecting Carrier IQ normally doesn t require the device to be rooted The removal process is more advanced and requires the user to root the device or unlock the device s boot loader applies only on Nexus devices in order to remove it Rooting the device may void its warranty since system files are modified Updates edit On December 12 2011 Carrier IQ released a document to explain their software and its uses The document is titled Understanding Carrier IQ Technology 38 There are credits given to Dan Rosenberg and Trevor Eckhart The nineteen page document provides a technical breakdown of how the software on a mobile phone works with profiles provided by the carrier to give the carriers performance data of their networks and devices running on them The document appears as if it will be updated on a regular basis as more questions are answered over time On December 1 2011 Carrier IQ issued a clarification to its November 23 statements While a few individuals have identified that there is a great deal of information available to the Carrier IQ software inside the handset our software does not record store or transmit the contents of SMS messages email photographs audio or video For example we understand whether an SMS was sent accurately but do not record or transmit the content of the SMS We know which applications are draining your battery but do not capture the screen As a condition of its contracts with operators Carrier IQ operates exclusively within that framework and under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction The data we gather is transmitted over an encrypted channel and secured within our customers networks or in our audited and customer approved facilities Carrier IQ acts as an agent for the operators Each implementation is different and the diagnostic information actually gathered is determined by our customers the mobile operators Carrier IQ does not gather any other data from devices Carrier IQ is the consumer advocate to the mobile operator explaining what works and what does not work Three of the main complaints we hear from mobile device users are 1 dropped calls 2 poor customer service and 3 having to constantly recharge the device Our software allows operators to figure out why problems are occurring why calls are dropped and how to extend the life of the battery When a user calls to complain about a problem our software helps operators customer service to more quickly identify the specific issue with the phone 39 There has been debate whether Carrier IQ software actually sends the collected data in real time or if it is stored on the phone and only gets read out later The company clearly states on its web page that its software is able to provide real time data Carrier IQ s Mobile Service Intelligence solution eliminates guesswork by automatically providing accurate real time data direct from the source your customers handsets 40 In February 2012 TelecomTV in association with Carrier IQ filmed a panel discussion debate 41 titled The Data Dilemma and addressing the question Do operators collect user data for the benefit of their customer or for their own commercial and financial betterment Participants in the videotaped panel discussion were Mike Short Vice President Telefonica Europe Dean Bubley Founder Disruptive Analysis Charlotte Patric Principal Analyst Gartner and Martyn Warwick Moderator TelecomTV On May 8 2012 Carrier IQ appointed a Chief Privacy Officer Magnolia Mobley formerly Verizon s Lead Privacy Counsel This news spurred a new round of articles and discussions about privacy in mobile communications 42 43 44 45 In February 2015 HTC One users began reporting that the Carrier IQ agent software was overriding GPS device settings in order to obtain location information even when the GPS was turned off 46 47 48 49 50 Analytics and Carrier IQ edit Generally speaking analytics companies collect synthesize and present aggregated user information to their customers to help them reduce maintenance costs increase revenue and improve the performance of a particular product Mobile analytics provide to their customers telemetry The telemetry is important because it contains solutions related to mobile web and telephone services For instance if a particular application on a mobile device crashes the logs can be sent showing specific details of the issue It is also possible that telemetry related to mobile handset user webpage views and click behavior is also included 51 Problems with Carrier IQ s clarification edit This section may be confusing or unclear to readers Please help clarify the section There might be a discussion about this on the talk page January 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message While the contents of SMS messages are kept private as the clarification states the simple reporting of the success or failure of an SMS transmission provides valuable information about customer habits that would not normally be available outside of the cellular network itself Because the information is transmitted over the web on a regular basis an internet service provider will be able see entries in the named log file that resides on its name server at times when any user with an affected phone is connected to the internet by WiFi This method of connecting is extremely common as many users seek to keep their cellular data charges as low as possible by also utilizing their home or corporate wireless networks A likely privacy violation is targeted marketing by the home or company s internet service provider Examples of possible targeted marketing include offering competing phone plans android apps that facilitate additional sales such as television guides and even hardware sales like faster or integrated WiFi routers In short because of the way Carrier IQ works even if the company acts with the best of intentions the software betrays users by leaking information outside of the control of either Carrier IQ or the affected user s phone company Distribution edit On December 1 2011 AT amp T Sprint and T Mobile confirmed it was on their phones Sprint said We collect enough information to understand the customer experience with devices on our network and how to address any connection problems but we do not and cannot look at the contents of messages photos videos etc using this tool The information collected is not sold and we don t provide a direct feed of this data to anyone outside of Sprint Verizon was the only one of the four biggest U S firms to say it was not installed on their phones 52 Apple HTC and Samsung said the software was installed on their phones Apple said it had quit supporting the application in iOS 5 It said With any diagnostic data sent to Apple customers must actively opt in to share this information We never recorded keystrokes messages or any other personal information for diagnostic data and have no plans to ever do so It said it would scrub the software from phones in some future release 53 HTC whose Android phone was the subject of Eckhart s video said it was required on its devices by a number of U S carriers It added It is important to note that HTC is not a customer or partner of Carrier IQ and does not receive data from the application the company or carriers that partner with Carrier IQ 52 Nokia and Research in Motion now BlackBerry Ltd have said Carrier IQ categorically was not authorized for their phones 52 According to the company s website the software is also installed on NEC mobile devices 54 and the company has a partnership with Vodafone Portugal 55 Although the phone manufacturers and carriers by and large say the software is strictly used to monitor its phone systems and not to be used by third parties a press release on October 19 2011 touted a partnership with Nielsen Company The press release said Together they will deliver critical insights into the consumer experience of mobile phone and tablet users worldwide which adhere to Nielsen s measurement science and privacy standards This alliance will leverage Carrier IQ s technology platform to gather actionable intelligence on the performance of mobile devices and networks 56 Government response edit On December 1 2011 Senator Al Franken chairman of the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy Technology and the Law sent a letter to Lenhart asking for answers to 11 questions and asking whether the company was in violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act including the federal wiretap statute 18 U S C 2511 et seq the pen register statute 18 USC 3121 et seq and the Stored Communications Act 18 U S C 2701 et seq and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act 18 U S C 1030 57 A request to the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act for any manuals documents or other written guidance used to access or analyze data gathered by programs developed or deployed by Carrier IQ was denied citing pending law enforcement proceeding This has led to speculation that the FBI is using data obtained through Carrier IQ for investigations 58 Security responses edit Fortinet has deemed Carrier IQ as a security risk rootkit 59 using definition Riskware CarrierIQ Android 60 Paper shared with Senate clarifying solution in 2011 See also editMobile web analytics Mobile phone tracking Mobile QoS Mobile security Mobile deviceReferences edit a b Carrier IQ Inc PrivCo com Konstantin Othmer Archived 2011 11 30 at the Wayback Machine Our Team Seraph Group US 6167358 Othmer Konstantin amp Derossi Chris System and method for remotely monitoring a plurality of computer based systems published December 26 2000 Carrier IQ Named as an Innovative Business Analytics Company Under 100M to Watch Archived 2018 07 23 at the Wayback Machine Mountain View CA October 27 2011 Carrier IQ apologizes drops threat to security researcher by Stephen Shankland 2011 11 25 CNET News com Archived copy PDF www carrieriq com Archived from the original PDF on 31 January 2012 Retrieved 12 January 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Carrier IQ bucks funding climate PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2011 12 02 Retrieved 2011 12 06 NEC and Carrier IQ Announce Global Partnership GoMoNews Archived from the original on 2009 12 01 Retrieved 2012 06 18 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2012 03 25 Retrieved 2012 03 25 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Bridgescale Partners Series D Funding PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2012 01 31 Retrieved 2018 02 18 PDF 14 December 2011 https web archive org web 20111214090905 http www carrieriq com company PR 100M VisionMobile FINAL 10 18 10 pdf Archived from the original PDF on 14 December 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help PDF 26 March 2012 https web archive org web 20120326214351 http www carrieriq com go download file PR CarrierIQannoucesLTE 2011 03 22 pdf Archived from the original PDF on 26 March 2012 Retrieved 23 June 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help PDF 13 January 2012 https web archive org web 20120113175352 http www carrieriq com company PR LarryLenhartCEO pdf Archived from the original PDF on 13 January 2012 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help PDF 31 January 2012 https web archive org web 20120131042717 http www carrieriq com company PR Nielsen CIQ News Release Oct 19 2011 pdf Archived from the original PDF on 31 January 2012 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help Carrier IQ Named Innovative Business Analytics Company Under 100M to Watch by Leading Analyst Firm Carrier iQ PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2018 07 23 Retrieved 2011 11 30 Vijayan Jaikumar 2011 12 01 FAQ Behind the Carrier IQ rootkit controversy Computerworld Archived from the original on 2019 08 25 Retrieved 2020 01 23 Goldman David February 28 2012 Carrier IQ You should know what your phone knows about you CNNMoney Archived from the original on 2012 02 28 Ziegler Chris 2012 02 27 Carrier IQ lets carriers open their network quality stats to subscribers The Verge Archived from the original on 2012 02 28 Retrieved 2021 01 31 Lunden Ingrid December 30 2015 AT amp T Snaps Up Assets Talent From Carrier iQ Phone Monitoring Startup Goes Offline TechCrunch Archived from the original on 2015 12 30 Retrieved January 30 2021 Board of Directors Carrier IQ Archived from the original on 2011 11 30 Retrieved 2011 12 02 Understanding Carrier IQ Archived from the original on 2013 07 31 Retrieved 2012 06 01 Update How to turn off Carrier IQ on your iPhone Computerworld December 2 2011 T Mo Carrier IQ on 450 000 phones but use is limited GigaOm December 21 2011 Archived from the original on March 11 2015 Retrieved June 1 2012 About Trevor Eckhart 2020 08 18 Retrieved 2020 08 18 Home to Logging Test App Android Security Test Retrieved 2011 12 06 How much of your phone is yours Archived 2012 06 26 at the Wayback Machine By Russell Holly 2011 11 15 Geek com Researcher s Video Shows Secret Software on Millions of Phones Logging Everything By David Kravets 2011 11 29 Wired Andy Greenberg 2011 11 30 Phone Rootkit Maker Carrier IQ May Have Violated Wiretap Law In Millions Of Cases Forbes Retrieved 2011 12 02 Case details Carrier IQ Tries to Censor Research With Baseless Legal Threat By Marcia Hofmann 2011 11 21 EFF org Carrier IQ Drops Empty Legal Threat Apologizes to Security Researcher By Marcia Hofmann 2011 11 23 EFF org Carrier IQ Press Statement Archived 2011 12 01 at the Wayback Machine November 23 2011 Carrier IQ official response to incident Goodin Dan November 30 2011 Busted Secret app on millions of phones logs key taps The Register Peckham Matt December 1 2011 Carrier IQ Wiretap Debacle Much Ado About Something Techland Time IQ Insight Experience Manager Archived 2011 11 17 at the Wayback Machine Product Overview PDF 2009 Carrier IQ tasmaniangothic tasmaniangothic Class action suit against Carrier IQ Retrieved 6 December 2011 Understanding Carrier IQ Technology Carrier IQ Archived from the original on 2013 07 31 Retrieved 13 November 2012 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2011 12 15 Retrieved 2011 12 03 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Overview Carrier IQ Archived from the original on 2011 12 06 Retrieved 2011 12 06 Second Look Controversial spyware company Carrier IQ kicks off privacy discussion on TelecomTV 2016 01 08 Retrieved 2018 11 29 Why transparency is crucial to the success of mobility by Wayne Rash FierceMobileIT Remember Carrier IQ Well It s Still Around and Kicking by Ina Fried All Things D Can Carrier IQ s new Chief Privacy Officer build a culture of privacy by Dieter Bohn The Verge Gorman Michael May 9 2012 Carrier IQ hires former Verizon privacy counsel Magnolia Mobley as Chief Privacy Officer Engadget Archived from the original on 2020 05 20 Retrieved 2021 01 30 GPS turns on by itself after Android 4 4 4 update 26 February 2015 Massive Battery Drain GPS is on constantly 19 February 2015 HTC M8 Agent IQ Battery Drain 27 February 2015 At amp t m8 GPS problem 25 February 2015 PSA AT amp T HTC One M8 GPS Battery Drain Problem Caused by Android System IQ Agent 2 March 2015 Carrier IQ Pre Transit Keystroke Logging and the Federal Wiretap Act PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2014 03 25 Retrieved 2016 02 26 a b c Jaikumar Vijayan December 1 2011 AT amp T Sprint confirm use of Carrier IQ software on handsets Computerworld com Retrieved 2011 12 02 How to turn off Carrier IQ on your iPhone iPad iPhone Macworld UK Macworld co uk 2011 12 02 Archived from the original on 2012 06 06 Retrieved 2011 12 02 NEC and Carrier IQ Announce Global Partner Archived 2012 01 31 at the Wayback Machine February 17 2009 Carrier IQ News Release Vodafone Portugal Pioneers Innovative Mobile Broadband Experience Management Architecture Using Carrier IQ Technology Archived 2011 12 19 at the Wayback Machine July 31 2009 Carrier IQ Nielsen and Carrier IQ Form Global Alliance to Measure Mobile Service Quality Archived 2011 12 15 at the Wayback Machine October 19 2011 Carrier IQ Sen Franken Demands Answers from Company Accused of Secretly Logging Location and Private Information Al Franken Senator for Minnesota Franken senate gov 2011 12 01 Archived from the original on 2011 12 02 Retrieved 2011 12 06 Loftus Tom December 13 2011 Carrier IQ Fights Speculation Around FBI Link The Wall Street Journal Carrier IQ On Android Archived from the original on 2011 12 13 Retrieved 2011 12 14 Riskware CarrierIQ Android Archived from the original on 2012 04 06 Retrieved 2011 12 14 External links editSecurity researcher responds to CarrierIQ with video proof of keylogging Geek com Archived 2012 07 01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carrier IQ amp oldid 1195995696, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.