Carrier IQ

Carrier IQ also known as CIQ is a software that is installed not only on smartphones but also on tablets. Carrier IQ was developed to reduce the number of dropped calls, extend battery life and for the device and services to work efficiently at all times which will actually help understand the experience of mobile users. Operators want to develop and enhance the services all the time and this can only be done by knowing when exactly the mobile user is having a bad experience.

Historically operators use their network to solve problems but today’s network and devices are too complex to understand if you can’t see the device itself.  Carrier IQ examines a large amount of data from each device to capture and summarize what exactly is working and what is not. For example, the operators and the device manufacturers need to know where exactly was a call dropped or which applications drained the battery life of the device and most importantly they need to know how to solve the user’s problems when you call them.

Carrier IQ’s technology counts and summarizes problems. According to CIQ, it is not providing key strokes or tracking tools.  Carrier IQ’s technology is the user’s advocate because operators and handset manufacturers, for the first time are getting an understanding of the users day to day problems.

Developers, on the other hand, believe that CIQ is a low level software that is installed by Samsung and HTC at the command of the mobile carrier such as AT&T. According to them, it basically records metrics i.e. every key that is pressed, every touch on the screen, every application launched, every website visited or any kind of traffic entering or leaving the phone or every time the battery is changed, etc.

Carrier IQ calls this software the Mobile Intelligence Platform (MIP). CIQ works with mobile manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC to embed the agent within the Smartphone to track all the data. The biggest issue behind CIQ is the threat to privacy since the software works in a similar manner to a spyware.

Carrier IQ has recently gotten immense attention of the public. With growing concerns of threat to the privacy of users, CIQ is facing a lot of pressure not only from the general public but also has lawsuits filed against their software. Developers are coming up with new ways of disabling the software according to the wish of the users allowing them to control exactly what information they are willing to share.