Carrier IQ dead, but will likely live elsewhere (AT&T acquisition)

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Remember Carrier IQ? Yes, we are talking about that spawn of the devil that flooded your news feed and terrorized the whole tech industry back in 2011. The software pretty much tracked every single thing you did with your smartphone. Literally… every single thing.

See also: How to Remove Carrier IQ on an Android Device12

It was havoc. The whole point was that it was meant to provide feedback for companies to be able to improve services and cater to your needs in a more efficient manner, but this was discovered in a time when privacy was a very hot topic. Carriers and phone makers decided to listen to their costumers and were quick to remove the software from their phones.

Fast-forward to 2014 and Carrier IQ finds itself finally settling the privacy violation lawsuit. But what is to be of Carrier IQ's future? We would guess there is not much of it, but AT&T seems to have plans for whatever is left. The US carrier has just acquired Carrier IQ's assets and recruited some of its talent.

"We've acquired the rights to Carrier iQ's software, and some CIQ employees moved to AT&T." -AT&T

This raises the same concern, though: is Carrier IQ still around? Technically, this acquisition kills it, but it will probably continue to live in another form.

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After all, AT&T does continue to use Carrier IQ's software to troubleshoot wireless signal issues and improve its network. And since Carrier IQ talent is jumping on-board, we can all assume will continue spying on our phones. I mean, why else would they pay loads of money for the company?

"We use CIQ software solely to improve the customer's network and wireless service experience. This is in line with our Privacy Policy and provides a great benefit to users of our network." -AT&T

Is this something to worry about? Honestly, we have plenty of companies tracking our activity. Carrier IQ is just another one in the bunch. If you care about your privacy, though, you should steer away from AT&T as a carrier.

 

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