AfterDawn: News

Sprint removing Carrier IQ from smartphones, starting this month

Sprint has confirmed today that it will be providing maintenance releases to its smartphone devices to remove Carrier IQ.

In December, Sprint, the largest user of Carrier IQ software in the U.S., said it was completely disabling the software in all of its devices. Although it was disabled, the remnants remained dormant. The carrier also admitted to using the software since 2006, and that it is installed on 26 million Sprint smartphones and tablets.



The new updates will also provide security enhancements and bug fixes, says the carrier.

Last month, following customer concerns over the rootkit, Sprint stopped collecting data using Carrier IQ even though they said they only used Carrier IQ to collect network- and device-related information for quality-of-service-related purposes.

Carrier IQ, which is installed in over 140 million Android, iOS and BlackBerry devices, can read the state of your phone at all times, log all keystrokes, see who you called, see who you texted, see what terms you have searched for, and log sleep/uptime.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 17 Jan 2012 19:37

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• 3 comments

• LordRuss

  Is that love I smell? I've been in a few stock yards as well & it smelled like that too, but I've smelled love too & it smells like that as well.
  
  So which is it? Love or bullshit?
  

  http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

  18.1.2012 17:12 #1

• hearme0

  "Last month, following customer concerns over the rootkit, Sprint stopped collecting data using Carrier IQ even though they said they only used Carrier IQ to collect network- and device-related information for quality-of-service-related purposes."
  
  Kinda like when criminals that get caught ALWAYS say "I didn't do it" or when those that get pulled over and a cop smells dope and asks if they have any marijuana in the car and the criminal says "no officer" then it gets found and the criminal ALWAYS says "that's not mine".
  
  
  Man up and admit you're just using the data for marketing purposes and perhaps customers will have faith in your words.

  18.1.2012 17:23 #2

• jookycola

  They have in FACT NOT stopped using CIQ last month. It's still running on my phone as late as last week. They lie, I won't believe a word they say until it's off my phone.
  

  
  

  19.1.2012 15:04 #3