Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • Mobile

    Android Mobile Devices the Target of ACLU Complaint to FTC

    By
    Nathan Eddy
    -
    April 17, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that the major wireless carriers’ failure to provide updates to consumers using non-Google-managed Android phones is a deceptive and unfair business practice.

      The ACLU stated all four of the major wireless carriers consistently fail to provide consumers with available security updates to repair known security vulnerabilities in the software operating on mobile devices and have failed to warn consumers that the smartphones sold to them are defective and that they are running vulnerable operating system and browser software.

      The organization requested that the FTC investigate the major wireless carriers and compel them to warn all subscribers using carrier-supplied Android smartphones with known, unpatched security vulnerabilities about the existence and severity of the vulnerabilities, as well as any reasonable steps those consumers can take to protect themselves, including purchasing a different device.

      It is an “accepted norm” in the software industry for companies to provide regular, prompt security updates to their customers, according to the complaint’s co-authors, Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist and senior policy analyst for the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, and Ben Wizner, the project’s director.

      The authors cited Microsoft, which distributes automatic security updates to Windows PCs, regardless of the manufacturer or place of purchase, and Apple, which distributes security updates directly to Macintosh computers and iOS mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad regardless of the place of purchase or the wireless carrier used, as examples of this.

      While Google-managed Nexus devices receive software updates directly from Google, the complaint points out non-Google-managed Nexus devices do not, and cannot receive OS updates without the participation and approval of the wireless carrier. In this case, non-Google-managed Nexus devices and all other Android smartphones receive OS updates only when they are made available by the device manufacturer or the wireless carrier that sold the device.

      “Widely distributed Android malware has exploited known security vulnerabilities in the Android operating system for which fixes from Google existed, but which the vast majority of consumer devices had not received at the time of infection,” the complaint stated. “A significant number of consumers are using smartphones running a version of the Android operating system with known, exploitable security vulnerabilities for which fixes have been published by Google, but have not been distributed to consumers’ smartphones by the wireless carriers and their handset manufacturer partners.”

      The filing comes one day after security firm Symantec released its latest Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), which revealed a 42 percent surge during 2012 in targeted attacks, compared with the prior year’s level. The report indicated that consumers remain vulnerable to ransomware and mobile threats, particularly on the Android mobile OS. Android’s market share, its open platform and the multiple distribution methods available to distribute malicious apps make it what Symantec called the “go-to platform” for attackers.

      Another report by NQ Mobile, which was released April 15, found nearly 95 percent of all mobile malware discovered in 2012 targeted Android. More than 32.8 million Android devices were infected in 2012, compared with 10.8 million in 2011, an increase of more than 200 percent. In addition, in February of this year, a new type of mobile malware was discovered that could jump from an Android device to infect a PC when they were connected through the USB port.

      Nathan Eddy
      A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan was perviously the editor of gaming industry newsletter FierceGameBiz and has written for various consumer and tech publications including Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, CRN, and The Times of London. Currently based in Berlin, he released his first documentary film, The Absent Column, in 2013.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×