[General Topics] GSLEON3:
Since TrevE first wrote about CIQ (Carrier IQ), I have been following all of the articles, statements & rebuttals from all of the parties involved. I originally, and still do, planned on writing a definitive article regarding the truth about what CIQ does, what it can do and also who is responsible for deciding what CIQ does and what parts of CIQ are hidden or inaccessible to users.

In my quest for the truth, I contacted many people including CIQ, several carriers of various size and several manufacturers. Some of my sources have made official comments, while some have commented "off the record", one going so far as to make me promise the information would be used as background only.

Earlier today, I received a communication from one of my OTR (off the record) sources, whom works for a large US carrier currently envolved in a major spat with the FCC. The FCC decision was partly made in the interest of keeping competition well & alive for American Consumers. However, from what I learned this morning, any future FCC decisions may also help to protect your privacy.

After talking about several hot-button issues, including CIQ, with my source we stumbled onto the topic of wifi tethering. It seems that AT&T has been sending out letters and changing, or threatening to forcefully change, data plans to disallow unlimited data plans and to charge you for your tethering trangressions.

I put two and two together and asked how AT&T is catching the alleged offenders. To my shock, or lack thereof, the answer has been starring us all in the face; CIQ. This claim by my source was not just an empty accusation. They provided me with specific information from CIQ showing how they can and do monitor what applications you have and use, including ALL side loaded applications and materials. CIQ's own sales and marketing information shows graphs and data about app usage, including apps that have nothing to do with the network or AT&T & they also monitor how users handle different advertisements. Whether you ignore ads or click on one and follow it to a website, AT&T knows.

Firstly, what bothers me the most about this is that I can create an application for private use, one that has no bearing on the AT&T network, and they still can access information about my application and it's use. Yet AT&T states that they use the CIQ embedded software for monitoring and improving the AT&T network and the user experience. Seems contradictory to me.

The second thing that frustrates me, the fact that Congress passed a bill making it hard for companies to advertise and data mine over telephone lines. It didn't matter though, as companies had already begun advertising and data mining through electronic means. So you have the right to opt out and not participate if ad and data mining companies call you at home, but if they take that information over tablets and smart phones without asking or even giving you the opportunity to opt out, these companies think they are okay to do so.

Finally, all of the companies that use CIQ have insisted that the information they receive is anonymous. However, if that is true, then how is it that they are finding wifi-tethering offenders through the use of CIQ & sending them emails and letters? I imagine that it would be hard to take anonymous data and magically divine who has been tethering and where they should send the emails and letters notifying you of the need to change to the more expensive data plan.