Privacy From Our Overlords

Privacy is for shit anymore. Just found out that my Android phone probably has been spying on me and sending the results back to some nefarious outfit called CarrierIQ. From Yahoo via the Atlantic Wire:

An Android developer recently discovered a clandestine application called Carrier IQ built into most smartphones that doesn't just track your location; it secretly records your keystrokes, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Now, most companies want desperately to spy on you but they give you a choice to opt out. Remember those Firefox boxes that would pop up when the damn thing crashed and asked if they could collect the info about the event? You could opt in or opt out.

These CarrierIQ assholes don't give you the option. They run some little program in the background, so secretive the program, it took an Android developer to discover it. And when this dude, Trevor Eckhart, tried to go public, CarrierIQ "aggressively" tried to keep him from doing so, to the point the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) took up his case.

Now what the fuck is this company collecting that is so important that the purchaser of these phones are not to know that the keystrokes are being logged?

I use TextSecure on my Android. You know, because governments have decided that it is fine for law enforcement to look at your phone records pretty much whenever they want without warrant. Well unless you have the passcode you won't be reading texts on my phone. But of course even encrypted, if the fucking program is logging keystrokes, the conversations are collected in a database somewhere.

You know, as long as the federal government is wiping its collective ass with your privacy rights, then why would we expect them to protect our privacy from private companies?

My online experience has drastically changed. I use Cocoon to hide my IP address as I surf. I use additional add-ons like Better Privacy, No Script and Ghostery to protect my surfing habits. For web searches I use Startpage. From their homepage:

When you search with Startpage, we remove all identifying information from your query and submit it anonymously to Google ourselves.

I keep my email secure with Hushmail as well. It works best when you email others with a Hushmail account which I insist on with family and close friends.

BTW, No Script will fuck up your browser experience if you don't know what you're doing. It's excellent at killing scripts but since most webpages are full of them the page will look like a third grader built it or shit won't work. You'll spend some browsing time enabling those scripts back in your pages. It's cool, for instance I haven't seen a Google ad on webpages I visit since I installed it.

Anyway, I happily participate in any means possible to fuck up the machine and protect my privacy. Of course now I have to deal with this CarrierIQ shit. I suppose some propeller head will provide a means to block this egregious invasion of privacy.

Look, I realize that this sounds like I am turning into a tin-foil hat, bearded, conspiracy man having a psychotic breakdown slapping strangers in the face with pizza slices. Of course we know this to be untrue as it's obvious I enjoy a distinguished mustache with a slight curl at the tips and prefer Molotov meatballs to the nuts.

I recommend you protect what's left of your privacy. Be as anonymous as possible. Try to achieve invisibility in regards to the machine, both corporations and government. They do not have your best interest at heart. They only want to profit from you and control your life. Fuck that, people. Fuck that indeed.