Carrier IQ is Only The Beginning

Carrier IQ, the infamous software that was found to be installed on millions of mobile phones is not only a reality, but “is a secret new industry spanning 25 countries,” – according to WikiLeaks, The Spy Files.

First off, in case your not familiar with Carrier IQ, it’s a software program that was revealed to be found on most modern Android, Blackberry, Nokia, AND Apple phones. It was found to be on these phones by a developer named, Trevor Eckhart.

The software records EVERY action one does on their phone. As show in the video below, made by Eckhart, the software logs every keystroke and text message made on the screen. (Between 11:30 and 13:30 of the video)

According to Wired, the application cannot be turned off “without rooting the phone and replacing the operating system,” “and even if you stop paying for wireless service from your carrier and decide to just use Wi-Fi, your device still reports to Carrier IQ.”

That’s only half of it.

According to Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, “Intelligence agencies, military forces and police authorities are able to silently, and on mass, and secretly intercept calls and take over computers without the help or knowledge of the telecommunication providers. Users’ physical location can be tracked if they are carrying a mobile phone, even if it is only on stand by.”

Surveillance companies that collect the data are based in developed nations, but they sell their technology on to every country of the world. The data they collect from mobile phones is theirs and they can sell it to anyone. Within the last ten years it has become normal for their software to be on mobile phones.

“Intelligence companies such as VASTech secretly sell equipment to permanently record the phone calls of entire nations. Others record the location of every mobile phone in a city, down to 50 meters.”

One of the recipients of this data were, dictators. “When citizens overthrew the dictatorships in Egypt and Libya this year, they uncovered listening rooms where devices from Gamma corporation of the UK, Amesys of France, VASTech of South Africa and ZTE Corp of China monitored their every move online and on the phone,” the WikiLeaks document continued.

What’s the future of these data systems?

Voice analysis and location awareness.

The increasing applications of voice control will offer a whole new paradigm of information for these security and data collecting firms. Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s voice-controlled TV for the Xbox 360 are a step towards this direction.

James McQuivey of Forrester Research says of Microsoft’s voice-controlled TV that, “A single box that ties together all the content you want, made easily accessible through a universal, natural, voice-directed search.”

Imagine all the games, movies, music, sports, and TV shows, these security and data collecting firms will be able to analyze and sell once this voice-enabled technology is cheap and everywhere.

A key component is tying it all into mobile phones.

It makes sense why Verizon Wireless bought wireless spectrum from three cable companies for $3.6 billion recently. (The deal is pending approval by the FCC.) Towards the middle of 2012 the deal is expected to be completed.

Once Verizon Wireless owns the spectrum, cable operators will have to buy spectrum under Verizon, at a wholesale price, when the cable operators offer their own wireless service in 4 years time.

If you live in a market like Atlanta for example, Comcast would be able to offer broadband, video, voice, and Verizon mobile service. This would tie everything under one payment bill.

Neal Smit, the president of Comcast, stated, “Mobility is an important part of the experience that we deliver to our customers today and will be an increasingly important part of Comcast’s future product road map.”

The products could make it possible for home devices like a TV set, and mobile devices like an iPhone, to talk to each other digitally.