Verizon tracking people who do the unmentionable?

[DonM]

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/04/are-the-days-of-rooting-android-phones-coming-to-an-end/?utm_so...

EDIT: URL of the post that started it all:

http://www.mydroidworld.com/forums/android-news-rumors/6888-some-food-thought-bootloaders-rooting-ma...

"Verizon and another major carrier seem to be tracking r****d phones by seeing who has not accepted updates.  They also seem to be doing this as of right now, meaning you could be on their list if you have a r****d device."

This is causing a stir around the 'net. Granted the US. Supreme Court has ruled that r**ting a phone isn't illegal but the carriers can do what they want to to make it very hard to do and they are also free to summarily punish those who choose to do so...it just isn't illegal to do it...

{edited to comply with Terms of Service}

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[PJNC284]

It's nothing more than he said/she said at this point that gets people in a frenzy.  P3 has been credible in the past but if this were the case, it would most likely be reported by more than one source.  I can see them monitoring for abuse of service from high data users but to bother the normal r**ted users would be suicide.  Angry nerds would be a lot more of a pain to them than people angry over lack of updates. 

[Smokie11]

They track who has a rooted phone by those that refuse an update? That is hilarious, what update??? 2.2??? That is so funny.

On a more serious note, it is my opinion that tethering your phone to your laptop when you pay for an unlimited data plan is an already paid for service and when Verizon wants me to pay for a second time for an already paid for service, this is called "double dipping" and they are actually attempting to steal from me.

Ok I have my flame suit on. Go ahead big red lovers, tell me how wrong I am.

[DonM]

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Smokie11 wrote:

They track who has a rooted phone by those that refuse an update? That is hilarious, what update??? 2.2??? That is so funny.

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Go to the second URL and read the post. P3droid said that the actual method is more complex than mentioned so I suspect there is some interim method of interrogating the phones that isn't dependent upon the update process.

[Smokie11]

I believe it can be tracked, I was laughing about the irony of tracking those that refuse an update, an update is exactly what we want and don't get. Lack of updates probably is the main reason most people that own a Fascinate root. There are always techies that simply root because the phone is their property, no different than owning a computer and they want full access to their OS. There are people that just don't like being told what they can and cannot do with their property.

[DonM]

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Smokie11 wrote:

I believe it can be tracked, I was laughing about the irony of tracking those that refuse an update, an update is exactly what we want and don't get. Lack of updates probably is the main reason most people that own a Fascinate root. There are always techies that simply root because the phone is their property, no different than owning a computer and they want full access to their OS. There are people that just don't like being told what they can and cannot do with their property.

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I agree, unfortunately I can see both sides of the issue. I do think that after I buy a product I should be able to do as I please with it but I also understand Verizon's desire to control exactly what connects with their network.

On an somewhat unrelated note; this entire Froyo debacle has taught me to do some serious research into which maunufacturer/carrier does update their products before I buy.

[nickjr]

Its your property, you paid for it, and feel you can do what you want with it..

[TBhouston]

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nickjr wrote:
Its your property, you paid for it, and feel you can do what you want with it..

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Unless you circumvent the need to purchase a service like mobile broad band and use wireless tether.. then maybe VZW has the right to step in.

[Smokie11]

How you considered that when you pay for an unlimited data plan for your phone, you are paying for mobile broadband and when you tether your phone to your laptop, the only thing you are doing is gaining a bigger keyboard and screen. The data stream is no different if you are surfing the internet with your phone than with your laptop connected to your phone. You don't feel that paying for unlimited data and paying for tethering to your laptop is paying for the same thing twice?

[TBhouston]

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Smokie11 wrote:

The data stream is no different if you are surfing the internet with your phone than with your laptop connected to your phone. You don't feel that paying for unlimited data and paying for tethering to your laptop is paying for the same thing twice?

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Data is not data.

It is not even close to the same function. You have access to much more of the internet on a computer and chances are you going to rack up much more usage..

The fact that Verizon sells a service and you are stealing that service is really not up for debate, every company sells the tethering separate, good luck with that argument. I see what you are saying, but really it doesn't apply.

[Smokie11]

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TBhouston wrote:

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Smokie11 wrote:

The data stream is no different if you are surfing the internet with your phone than with your laptop connected to your phone. You don't feel that paying for unlimited data and paying for tethering to your laptop is paying for the same thing twice?

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Data is not data.

It is not even close to the same function. You have access to much more of the internet on a computer and chances are you going to rack up much more usage..

The fact that Verizon sells a service and you are stealing that service is really not up for debate, every company sells the tethering separate, good luck with that argument. I see what you are saying, but really it doesn't apply.

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I don't mind you have an opposing point of view. You do have access to more internet, you are right: laptops support Flash. As far as not being up for debate, that means your mind is made up. Since you used the word stealing, why don't you do a little reading on the $93.5 million that Verizon was "fined" by the Government for breaking contracts and overcharging. How would you categorize those actions. Remember Government money...it is your money.

[gsp10]

I Completely agree with you my cousin has his g2 tethered and tmobile doesn't charge extra and they have wayyyy faster internet speeds

[DonM]

http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/ghsu9/in_light_of_verizons_supposed_root_tracking_i_am/

There have been a lot of people declaring this to be bogus. The link is to a reddit conversation about it. It's rather long but very interesting. The gist is: tracking cellphones in this manner is technologically possible but it would be very hard to do, fraught with false positives and is unlikely to be happening now.

For whatever reason I can no longer find the post over at XDA that was discussing this topic. I have seen info that indicates P3droid and other Devs seem to have a rocky relationship. If that feeds into this or not, I don’t know.

[PJNC284]

meh, it's just fear mongering at it's best.  He got Thunderbolt users in a Frenzy this morning by telling them to uninstall the LTE throttle hack and revert to stock.  Said hack doesn't even exist.  If there was anything to it, every blog on the internet would be running the story but as of right now, there is only 1 "source".   My guess is that Verizon won't resort to tracking at the software level on individual phones because that would open a whole different can of worms.  There more likely to go the AT&T route and just go after high data users that throw up red flags for possible tethering violations.   

[Soulchaser]

For a Thunderbolt that is having an issue with battery life, please ensure that the device has been set to “CDMA auto (PRL)” in order to keep the phone for constantly searching for 4G/LTE service in order to check this please follow the instructions below

Dial *#*#4636#*#*

Select "Phone Information"

Change network to "CDMA auto (PRL)"

Then just back out and it works like normal.

To change it back, follow the instructions and instead of selecting "CDMA auto (PRL)" pick  “CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto.”

BOOM 4G LTE fix that is legal

[gixxerman]

I can't tell you how many people at work have been fine $5000. or more for using their cell phones at work. If the head honchos hear that some was using their cell at work, work gets a subpena and gets your cell records then tracks the towers you were using and the time you were on line and BANG you're done. $ 5000. please or lose your job. STOP TRACKING US !!! Time to go to APPLE, Steve  said " we are not tracking you"

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Soulchaser wrote:

For a Thunderbolt that is having an issue with battery life, please ensure that the device has been set to “CDMA auto (PRL)” in order to keep the phone for constantly searching for 4G/LTE service in order to check this please follow the instructions below

Dial *#*#4636#*#*

Select "Phone Information"

Change network to "CDMA auto (PRL)"

Then just back out and it works like normal.

To change it back, follow the instructions and instead of selecting "CDMA auto (PRL)" pick  “CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto.”

BOOM 4G LTE fix that is legal

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[Smokie11]

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gixxerman wrote:

I can't tell you how many people at work have been fine $5000. or more for using their cell phones at work. If the head honchos hear that some was using their cell at work, work gets a subpoena and gets your cell records then tracks the towers you were using and the time you were on line and BANG you're done. $ 5000. please or lose your job. STOP TRACKING US !!! Time to go to APPLE, Steve  said " we are not tracking you"

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I don't know who you work for, maybe the CIA, but a company cannot legally and directly get a subpoena from a court to track your personal phone usage without a Law Enforcement Agency being involved and you are under investigation for suspected criminal activity. Any company can fire any employee at any time for using company property for personal use, you make it sound like the employees in your company had their personal phone records released to a private employer; which is illegal, for using their personal phones during work.

If you are referring to employees in your company using company cell phones during work for personal use, the company does not need a subpoena, they already have access to the phone usage details because they own the account.

[DonM]

I can't see how a firm that would take $5K from employees as punishment would still have employees to take money from.

[droidsw]

This thread needs Jesse Ventura's conspiracy show to get involved. Spying, subpoenas, fines. Where are the black helicopters and dead cows?