If there hasn’t been enough reason to root your phone and flash a custom ROM in the past, this whole CarrierIQ mess ought to be the death blow to factory junk. It is a rootkit, and it is ridiculous.
What does this thing do? All of this stuff from Verizon’s website:
Verizon Wireless will use the following categories of information:
Mobile Usage Information:
•
Addresses of websites you visit when using our wireless service. These data strings (or URLs) may include search terms you have used
•
Location of your device (“Location Information”)
•
App and device feature usage
Consumer Information:
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Information about your use of Verizon products and services (such as data and calling features, device type, and amount
of use)
•
Demographic and interest categories provided to us by other companies, such as gender, age range, sports fan, frequent diner, or pet owner (“Demographics”)
How is this collected? CIQ logs it. In plain text, disregarding https, etc…read this article to be blown away by the degree of privacy infringement.
Moral of the story: root your phone. This garbage is unacceptable.
This is troubling news. I am ashamed of the cell companies.
Sketch ball company