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Carrier IQ and Android: demystification


via Chpwn

Since the Carrier IQ news hit today (and previously) and everyone seems to be equating it with Google, I thought it would be good to point out a few facts.

1. Carrier IQ is something that Carriers put on phones as part of their OEM software.  This is out of the hands of both Google and the manufacturers.

2. Carrier IQ is on Blackberry, Nokia’s Symbian Windows Mobile and Android depending on the Carrier. It was even on iOS before version 4 (Update: all iOS).

3. Google’s Nexus devices don’t have Carrier IQ on them no matter what carrier they are on.  Pure Android devices and many Android devices don’t have it.  The carrier determines what products get the software.  Google is powerless to stop carriers from putting them on Android devices.

4. If you have a Carrier locked phone, the best way to get rid of Carrier IQ is to install Cyanogen Mod…or wait a few days until this all blows over and updates are issued.

5. Verizon, the number 1 Android carrier in the US has denied using Carrier IQ.  So that leaves out a lot of you.

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