As providers of Boston Area Tech Support we thought this article about the tracking of smartphone use was very interesting.

Most of us that bought a smartphone and the required mobile service to use it think that’s the end of it. How and what we use it for is our business, right? Not exactly.

Earlier this month, the XDA-Developer site noticed that a preinstalled mobile app, named CarrierIQ, was logging all smartphone activities with no way to opt out. On Wednesday, a new video demonstration surfaced that demonstrates exactly what the CarrierIQ software does. And it’s disturbing, especially when you consider more than 141 million handsets have the software installed.

They’ve even posted a seventeen minute video (check it out here) a little lengthy, but if you use a smartphone, it’s well worth watching.

Unforunately the CarrierQ software can’t be disabled. Trevor Eckhart, who created the video, shows that the service is set to run at all times and can’t be shut off through the standard “Force Close” option in Android. There’s no opt out method, the service runs invisibly in the background and there’s nothing a consumer can do to stop it. Why does CarrierIQ capture this data? According to the company’s website, the reason is to help both carriers and handset makers:

Recognizing the phone as an integral part of a mobile service delivery, and using the device to measure key parameters of service quality and usage, the Carrier IQ solution gives you the unique ability to analyze in detail usage scenarios and fault conditions by type, location, application and network performance while providing you with a detailed insight into the mobile experience as delivered at the handset rather than simply the state of the network components carrying it.

Does the fact that we purchase the mobile broadband service mean we as consumers have no privacy rights while on the carrier network? Shouldn’t the consumer have an expected level of privacy on their personal devices? Then again, we’ve got GPS in our cars, phones and who knows where else really. Are we surprised that we are “giving away” our privacy without even realizing it? We’re keeping an eye out for what matters to our Boston area small business customers. What do you think about this?

If you would like to read more of the GigaOm article, just click here.