Congressman Ed Markey asks FTC to investigate whether Carrier IQ violated user privacy rights

U.S. Representative Edward Markey on Friday asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether software maker Carrier IQ violated millions of mobile phone users' privacy rights.

Carrier IQ makes software that companies including AT&T Inc and Sprint Nextel install in mobile devices. It runs in the background, transmitting data that the software maker says its customer companies use to better understand their devices and networks, which allows them to improve their services.

Hacking expert Trevor Eckhart this week released a 17-minute YouTube video showing software tracking when he turns his HTC smartphone - powered by Google Inc's Android operating system - on and off, punches numbers to make a call and writes a text message.

In a letter to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, Markey asked the agency to investigate this under its mandate to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/lawmaker-calls-ftc-probe-carrier-201927328.html;_ylt=Alw2sOrIxA8_eZT3z7Z5m6WiuYdG;_ylu=X3oDMTNyb2dmczA3BG1pdANGUCBUb3AgU3RvcnkgTGVmdARwa2cDMzgxYWZmNTEtYWJiYS0zMGRjLTllMmQtNjQ4ZTZmN2VlMDcxBHBvcwMzBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzUxNzNjY2YwLTFkMjMtMTFlMS1iYWRiLWI4Y2Y4NGI0YTY1Mw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3