Google: No Affiliation With Carrier IQ

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Google has responded to TPM’s questions about its relationship with Carrier IQ, the company behind the tracking software of the same name that’s been found secretly installed on what appears to be hundreds of millions of mobile phones around the world, including numerous devices running Google’s Android OS.

A spokesperson from Google emailed TPM the following: “We do not have an affiliation with CarrierIQ. Android is an open source effort and we do not control how carriers or OEMs customize their devices.”

OEMs are “original equipment manufacturers,” those companies including HTC, RIM, Nokia and Samsung that create the mobile devices upon which operating systems like Google’s Android run.

RIM, HTC and Nokia have denied installing Carrier IQ as well. Samsung and Motorola have admitted some of their devices include Carrier IQ by the request of wireless carriers. Apple said that it stopped using Carrier IQ on its latest update, iOS5.

AT&T and Sprint have admitted to using Carrier IQ, but Sprint says that they “do not and cannot look at the contents of messages, etc,” PC Magazine reported.

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