Sprint Disables Carrier IQ On Devices

By Gilbert Falso :: 7:02 PM

The website Geek.com is reporting that Sprint is ordering all of their hardware manufacturing partners to remove the Carrier IQ software from Sprint devices as soon as feasible.

“We have weighed customer concerns and have disabled use of the tool so that diagnostic data is no longer being collected,” said Sprint in an e-mailed release to press outlets.

Sprint again stated that the company is not using Carrier IQ to review the content of text messages, emails, photos or other information stored on handsets. Sprint has also told customers that the software has not been used for any targeted advertising or profiling of customer use patterns. The software’s sole purpose, according to Sprint, was to report on network issues and allow the company to improve network performance for customers.

Sprint’s actions come in the wake of U.S. Senator Al Franken’s inquiry into the tracking software found on all major phone carrier devices.

In a statement released on Friday, Franken says, “I’m still very troubled by what’s going on. People have a fundamental right to control their private information. After reading the companies’ responses, I’m still concerned that this right is not being respected. The average user of any device equipped with Carrier IQ software has no way of knowing that this software is running, what information it is getting, and who it is giving it to-and that’s a problem.”

Franken is joined by his colleague, Delaware Senator Chris Coons, who also is concerned over reports that Carrier IQ has access to users information without their authorization.