Carrier IQ

Carrier IQ was one of the biggest technology news of last year, after a security researcher, Trevor Eckhart, indicated that the company's technology could gather personal data about mobile phone users. The software raised serious privacy concerns since nearly most of people became to rely on their phones carrying all sorts of information about them.

Carrier IQ, which said its software was used only for helping with network diagnostics, has been trouble for a few months. They denied any sort of ominous goings on and tried to sue Trevor Eckhart instead of answering the questions about what its software was doing on the phone. It seemed like they were hiding under their desks for weeks from bloggers’ and reporters’ questions. They ignored mobile users who deserved to know what’s happening with their phones.

Phone manufacturers and networks tried to make a distance themselves from Carrier IQ which was becoming the most infamous name in the mobile industry. Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile all previously said they didn't use Carrier IQ to monitor subscribers' activities, but only the software was used to improve its network and service performance. Just Verizon clearly said the company did not add Carrier IQ to their phones.

Although phone manufacturers and networks explained the issue to the public, many people who read articles commented “Are you kidding?” People thought, ‘It doesn't matter what Carrier IQ's purpose and what they do in fact collect.’ They were concerning about ‘change of intension’. If the software has the ability of collecting personal data, someone at the company or a third party probably access that information, collect it, and find a way to sell.

In response to the controversy over Carrier IQ, Rep. Edward Markey, a Democrat, released a draft legislation to provide greater transparency into the transmission of consumers’ personal information. And Sprint was the first to say it would get rid of Carrier IQ. Even though the legislation and companies ‘active response, people still suspected. It’s like companies acted concerned and responsible in the public eye. After the controversy died down, companies probably find another way adopting Carrier IQ. Companies should have responded promptly with honesty and showed their best to solve the issue to the public from the beginning of the issue. Their history of deny and excuse of the issue made people doesn’t believe companies anymore.