Verizon over the weekend dropped word that an impending update to the LG Revolution would include a Verizon Remote Diagnostics app — a "new customer care solution to improve device issue diagnosis during customer support calls."
We've gotten some more detail on exactly what that entails, and it's not really anywhere near as scary as you might think. A Verizon spokesman tells us that it's really just a remote desktop type of thing. A VNC service, if you will. And, Verizon tells us, "no personal data like keystrokes or web history, location, etc., is logged or saved."
This sort of thing is a touchy subject because of the hot water carriers found themselves in last year over their use of Carrier IQ, a network analytics tool that was cooked into many smartphones to allow the silent uploading of network and device data. Users weren't explicitly made aware of its use, and a bit of a firestorm erupted. Warranted or not, any sort of "remote diagnostics" app added by a carrier to a smartphone is bound to raise eyebrows.
We've got a feeling some folks will be putting that to the test, but for now we have absolutely no reason not to take Verizon at its word.
Reader comments
Verizon says Remote Diagnostics tool doesn't track personal data in the background
And VNC is commonly undesired because it doesn't get updated regularly with the OS leading to vulnerabilities. I haven't seen otherwise but does this Diagnotics app require user authorization to run or could it be kicked off via "customer care" or someone pretending to be at any time? I think I may dislike this more because it doesn't log info.. it gives remote control.
Why can't they just do what Motorola is doing with LogMeIn? Is it too much to ask that Verizon install this only when necessary? (And is it too much to ask that AC stop acting like companies with money/greed as a motivator can do no evil?)
I wish I had something like this functionality to help my Mom with HER Android phone.