In this media oriented age, privacy is on the decline, but is monitoring phone data too far? Yes.

Most smartphones and android phones are embeded with a program that only paranoid techies would notice called CarrierIQ. CarrierIQ is a program that monitors every keystroke made on the phone and stores the information to help improve the company’s service and develop future technology; however, what right do these phone companies, who in retrospect are carriers and service providers, have to tap into all of the personal information flowing through the phones? Essentially, the companies have every bit of data entered into the phone including credit card numbers and pins.

What happens when the CarrierIQ program gets hacked? Whoever hacks the CarrierIQ system would have the ability to access any individuals personal information.

CarrierIQ is irresponsible at the least, and the worst part is that most consumers are unaware of the implantation of the program. Should customers be informed when initiating a contract with the carrier? Should contracts now be null and void? Untill a potentially threatening event to the customer’s privacy happens, most consumers will be left ignorant of the matter. CarrierIQ is an inhumane, ignoramous attempt to improve a product and should be removed from smartphones. It razes the inalienable human right to privacy and without privacy people have no freedom. CarrierIQ is, frankly, unconstitutional and a potential threat to freedom.