Carrier IQ, the much maligned rootkit installed on over 140 million smartphones around the globe, is back in the news today, but this time with potentially even more dire consequences than the past.
Michael Morisy, a journalist who founded an organization called MuckRock, requested knowledge of what the FBI was doing with the Carrier IQ data via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) but was completely denied by the agency.
Carrier IQ has the ability to record every keystroke, search item, and phone call made from the device, so seeing if our government is using the data to spy on citizens is of paramount interest to everyone.
The FBI says any data they received from Carrier IQ "is exempt from disclosure laws" because it is part of a file "compiled for law enforcement purposes" and "could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings."
Carrier IQ, for their part, has responded that the company has not provided any info to the FBI. However, that data could have been acquired via the wireless carriers that use the software, as well.
Carrier IQ has the ability to record every keystroke, search item, and phone call made from the device, so seeing if our government is using the data to spy on citizens is of paramount interest to everyone.
The FBI says any data they received from Carrier IQ "is exempt from disclosure laws" because it is part of a file "compiled for law enforcement purposes" and "could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings."
Carrier IQ, for their part, has responded that the company has not provided any info to the FBI. However, that data could have been acquired via the wireless carriers that use the software, as well.
