Carrier IQ Withdraws Legal Threat Against Security Researcher

[Arch Stanton]

Carrier IQ Withdraws Legal Threat Against Security Researcher

Network diagnostic software vendor issues apology to researcher who discovered its application secretly monitoring smartphone users.

By Mathew J. Schwartz InformationWeek
November 29, 2011 02:07 PM

After security researcher Trevor Eckhart branded a tool from smartphone monitoring vendor Carrier IQ as a "rootkit," the company fired off a cease-and-desist letter threatening to sue him for copyright and reputational damages unless he retracted his "false allegations" and apologized. Now, however, it is Carrier IQ that has issued an apology and withdrawn its legal threat.
On November 23, Carrier IQ released a statement saying that it had retracted the cease and desist letter it sent to Eckhart one week earlier, which included a threat of $150,000 in damages for copyright violations after he published Carrier IQ training manuals. "Our action was misguided and we are deeply sorry for any concern or trouble that our letter may have caused Mr. Eckhart," it said.

Read more:http://informationweek.com/news/security/mobile/232200381

 

[kapolani]

Kinda liking the wall garden right about now.

 

[BadWolf]

Kinda liking the wall garden right about now.

Its on iPhones too.

 

[kapolani]

Its on iPhones too.

Upon further investigation I found that as well.

Been following the blog of a well known IOS Jailbreak developer. He finds traces of it, but has also found verifiable proof (not sure who else verified) that it doesn't have access to the same data that is currently being logged on other phones.

Furthermore, it has been shown that an iPhone user just has to turn off the ability to send 'diagnostic' information. Unlike other smart phones that have to root the phone to get it to stop.