Software like Carrier IQ, which secretly logs every action you take on your smartphone, has been a topic of major controversy since its discovery last year. Carriers and manufacturers install it on many of their (primarily Android) handsets to troubleshoot their phones, but in some cases it goes a little too far. It seems the U.S. government has taken notice and legislation is being drafted in the House of Representatives that would require mobile companies to prominently disclose when they are invading the privacy of its users by utilizing tracking software.
Ed Markey, a Democrat representative from Massachusetts, wrote the bill. “Consumers have the right to know and to say no to the presence of software on their mobile devices that can collect and transmit their personal and sensitive information,” he declares. The forced disclosure would mean carriers and manufacturers would have to inform customers of the software and get their consent before they make a smartphone purchase. VP of Marketing for Carrier, Andrew Coward, said installing its Carrier IQ software is totally optional for these mobile companies. Good, it should be that much easier to get an approval or denial from customers.