Carrier IQ, whose software was used by carriers and phone manufacturers to collect network data, has settled a class-action lawsuit over violations of consumer privacy rights. Consumers felt that Carrier IQ's tracking was too extensive and invasive. The exact terms of the settlement have so far been undisclosed, and the settlement still needs to be finalized by the court.
In addition to Carrier IQ itself, legal action was taken against a number of phone manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung, and LG, both by consumers, and in some cases, the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC brought an enforcement action agains HTC, which was settled last year. Carrier IQ was also found on AT&T's LG G2 last September.
How do you feel about Carrier IQ settling this case? Leave your thoughts below in the comments.
Source: MediaPost
Reader comments
Carrier IQ settles class-action lawsuit over consumer privacy
$10 for you, 3.5million for the lawfirm
Posted by my soon to be retired Note 3
So where's my check?
So does this mean is going to be removed from current phones?
Posted via the Android Central App
Hell no. I am sure CarrierIQ admitted no wrong doing and are settling just to get the litigation out of the way so they can focus on their core products and business. *cough* bulls#!t *cough*
Expect a quote like that when the settlement is approved.
I remember when this whole Carrie IQ thing blew up. It was a mess!
It was the reason I rooted my HTC. I had been considering it prior to that, but that was the final straw.
Hopefully carriers learned a lesson. I don't mind the manufacture tracking certain details about the device, but carriers have no business tracking customers. If they want to track certain details to improve their network they have smart people that can track network conditions from their end.
Posted via the Android Central App
Except that's not possible. The carrier iq style solution is the only way to get good amounts of data for network optimisation and exoansion. They should just keep it anonymous.
Too bad they are allowed to settle. The people who were affected by it have no say in the matter and get nothing out of it and a Carrier IQ settlement will most likely say they are not admitting guilt.
Good news! If you opted OUT of the "Class" when it started, you retained your rights to sue them directly. If you didn't opt out of the class, than you get what you get, and you've basically accepted their terms.
Bad news... Little man suing a big corporation doesn't work out unless the little man is very rich. Even then you spend more on a lawsuit than what you're asking in reparations. The courts aren't set up for the people, my friend.
I'm getting a $5,000 after tax settlement in January from a class action against a bank. I love these things lol.
Posted via Android Central App with my LG G3
Nothing has changed and carrier IQ is still on your phone. There are apps you can download from the Play Store that will check your phone to see if you have it.
T-Mobile phones ask for explicit permission to enable it on new devices. They don't call it CarrierIQ however. It's cloaked in legalese.
Remember all of Jerry's articles about CarrierIQ telling us that it's no big deal and we should get over it?
Rooted my G3 and immediately removed CarrierIQ :)
Fuck CIQ