Secret software installed on millions of mobile phones secretly reports almost everything the user does on their device, a phone security expert has claimed.
In a video posted online, Android developer Trevor Eckhart has revealed how the Carrier IQ software — which is installed on most HTC, BlackBerry and Nokia phones — logs text messages, Google searches and encrypted web searches.
Carrier IQ, which denies it logs keystrokes from mobile phones, has threatened the 25-year-old with legal action and money damages.
But the Electronic Frontier Foundation sided with Mr Eckhart and the software company was forced to back down.
The software giant told Wired.com that any logging of information was for "gathering information off the handset to understand the mobile-user experience, where phone calls are dropped, where signal quality is poor, why applications crash and battery life."
In the video, Mr Eckhart types "hello world" into a HTTPS version of Google, which is supposed to keep searches private.
But the software can access the search and logs each letter before sending it to Carrier IQ's servers.
The application cannot be turned off unless the operating system is replaced.
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