Do YOU know who's watching you???

By now, you know my subject-matter is usually travel related. Not today.

An email came into my mailbox today which not only set me off, but has really shaken me to my core in anger. Allow me to share it with you.

I subscribe to a tech newsletter/blogsite call GIZMODO. I have enjoyed a lot of great information from this site and have learned a lot about everything from my laptop and home PC to my Android phone. But today, I really feel like surrendering my phone and going back into the dark ages.

Although I enjoy sharing the information I know about the travel industry, at heart I am a very private person. Regularly, I "Opt-Out" of sharing my information. I don't think it's any company's (or any individual's) business who I am calling, what my text messages say, or what websites I frequent. It's bad enough that "Big Brother" pretty much knows all of this already, but I don't want or need Apple, Verizon, Amazon or even Google knowing everything there is to know about me, my habits or my likes and dislikes, unless **I** decide to give them that information.

Tonight, an article regarding the public's privacy being in danger was released by the GIZMODO site. It talks about an insidious little program that has been placed into the root programming of virtually ALL Android Smartphones, BlackBerrys and Nokia Smartphones. It's called "Carrier IQ" and this program not only collects ALL of your personal information, including passwords, screen names, secure website information and SMS texting sent in confidence to your personal contacts. To make matters worse, it transmits this information UNENCRYPTED out in the open when your phone connects to either the 3G/4G networks of cell phone carriers, but also over WiFi connections when the phone is placed in "airplane" mode.

The sad truth about this is that there are no Federal, State or Local regulations that prohibit the collection and/or transmission of this information and who knows WHO is actually getting access to all of this? It has come to this and unless we, as the general public, step up and DEMAND action, we will unwittingly be giving large corporations (or the highest bidder) access to every aspect of our lives.

I urge you, the reader, to write to your Congressmen/Congresswomen and demand an investigation, legislation and control of this type of activity. Below, I have provided a sample of the letter I am sending to my State's Legislative leadership.

I hope you will join me in shutting this down immediately!!!

You can find a copy of this article at http://gizmodo.com/5863849/your-android-phone-is-secretly-recording-everything-you-do

=========================================

The Honorable (Put Name of Congressman/woman here)

Address of Congressman

Washington, DC 20515

Re: Violations of Personal Privacy

Dear Congressman Matheson,

Yesterday, I received a very disturbing report regarding an insidious spying, tracking and recording program that is apparently installed on ALL Android Smartphone devices (and apparently most, if not all, BlackBerry and Nokia Smartphone devices), known as “Carrier IQ,” developed by a company called by the same name.

As the attached copy of the report will inform you, the program is placed at the very root programming of all Android Smartphones, and this software records all keystrokes, screen names, passwords and all activity on the phone, including recording all visits to supposedly encrypted websites (such as banking, employer websites and all other personal information), and forwards this information to this company, which may or may not be selling this information to companies worldwide.

Unlike other information-sharing applications or programs, there is no warning to the end-user that this information is being shared, nor is there an “Opt-In/Opt-Out” option. The video that was attached to this report also proves that the program cannot be “force closed” or even uninstalled from the phone. What is worse, even though one might install applications that request personal information or location, if the user “Opts-Out” of those functions, it doesn’t matter! The Carrier IQ software still records and transmits even “secure” information out in the open to the carriers.

Not only is this a violation of privacy, but there seems to be no consumer protections or legislation on the Federal, State or Local levels to protect consumer information that is being transmitted to this company without the consumers knowledge or permission.

I urge the (Gentleman / Gentlewoman from [Your State]) to open an investigation into this matter and make this issue openly public using all manner of access to the media, to pressure these activities by telecommunication companies (like Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, etc.) to be controlled or stopped without the consumer’s knowledge. In this day and age of increased identity theft and the unauthorized sharing of consumer information, this is yet another slap in the face to the American consumer who may assume that these telecommunication companies are actually protecting their personal rights and privacy.

Thank you for your consideration to investigate this considerable violation of personal privacy.

Yours Very Truly,