Federal investigators are investigating allegations that Carrier IQ software found on about 150 million cell phones tracked user activity and sent the information to the cell-phone companies without informing consumers, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, quoting unnamed government officials.
The Post said that executives from Carrier IQ met with officials at the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission this week. The newspaper said that officials confirmed the FTC probe but requested anonymity because it is private.
Members of Congress, horrified by reports of cell-phone tracking, have been working on privacy legislation but have been unable to agree on a bill.
Carrier IQ, based in California’s Silicon Valley, is a mobile diagnostic company whose software can record phone numbers both dialed and received if a carrier asks the CIQ agent to do so, according to PC World.
The small, start-up company started making headlines last month when security researcher Trevor Eckhart posted a video online that appeared to show the company’s software logging keystrokes on an Android device.
Forbes reported on Wednesday that the FBI may use Carrier IQ’s tracking software in investigations, saying that the agency had refused to answer a Freedom of Information Act request about the matter.
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