By now, many of you have no doubt heard the major news regarding Carrier IQ, a third-party “embedded analytics company” whose eponymous software is installed in millions of smartphones and handsets, where it can – and likely has – been used to collected data on its users. For a brief and detailed enough explanation, check out this article on Gizmodo.
While there is still much contention regarding whether people were really being spied on – of course the company and service providers disagree – it’s very likely this was the case, given that it’s become an endemic practice across telecommunications. There’s a lot of money to be made by knowing our habits, spending preferences, favorite products, and interests.
Interestingly, while most people fear this sort of thing being undertaken by governments, it’s clear that private companies and even fellow citizens are no less likely to violate our privacy either. In fact, the American legal system has yet to really develop any clear safeguards against this sort of thing; although there is a Senate investigation in the works (see the hyperlink), and this practice my violate the Wiretap Act, the means and methods of tracking us seem to evolve faster than law enforcement or the public can address. Indeed, the latest in spying tech – including miniature spy drones – are available in the civilian commercial market.
As we become increasingly dependent on all this tech – if not so already – it’ll be very difficult to avoid this sort of thing. Sure, tech savvy grassroots folks could get the best of these sketchy practices. But they’re not formal watchdogs, and they’re certainly not the bulk of all internet or smartphone users. As technology becomes ubiquitous, so too will the exploitation that comes with it.
