Nexus Devices, Original XOOM Escape the Grips of Carrier IQ
Want another reason to make the Samsung Galaxy Nexus your next device? How about a lack of creepy tracking software watching your every move? The latest report in the ongoing Carrier IQ fiasco claims that due to heavier involvement from Google, the Nexus line of phones has foregone the inclusion of the controversial software. The same goes for the original XOOM.
With a name like Carrier IQ, one might assume that the software would get loaded onto a device during the carrier customization process, along with other so-called “bloatware” apps. With Google Experience devices such as the XOOM and Nexus skipping such carrier customization in order to provide a more pure Android experience, it sounds like service providers are never given the chance to install the data tracking software.
Why would Google skip Carrier IQ on their own devices but allow it on other officially licensed Android handsets? Most likely for the same reason that the tech giant allows carriers to pre-install apps like Netflix and the Amazon App Store, though the intentions of Carrier IQ are obviously a bit more dubious. If you have a rooted device (Nexus or otherwise), Trevor Eckhart, the man who blew the lid of of Carrier IQ’s secret scheme, has a tool that will run a scan of your system to determine if the software is installed.
[via The Verge]