Carrier IQ, the company responsible for providing analytics software for mobile phone manufacturers and their carriers such as Sprint, Verizon and so on, has come under criticism for not only the data it gathers from such sources but the way in which is uses the said information. With Carrier IQ software already being pre-installed in some phone devices, the idea is to collect data that mobile operators and manufacturers analyze in order to make hardware, service and network improvements. Information taken from a users’ phone can include telephone calls, text messages, if a single app is using the most battery life, location and so on.

According to Engadget today in a fairly in-depth article, Trevor Eckhart a security researcher has stated his concerns two weeks ago, in relation to how much information is being used by Carrier IQ and to where it may go, check out the embedded video below.

Currently, Carrier IQ is used all the time and the only possible way to turn it off from your device, is to unlock the phone and gain access to the administrator, which in turn will as cnet.com stated, void your warranty.

In a statement from Carrier IQ yesterday they said its software “makes your phone better by delivering intelligence on the performance of mobile devices and networks to help the Operators provide optimal service efficiency.” Interestingly, they then went on to say, “Three of the main complaints we hear from mobile device users are: dropped calls, poor customer service and having to recharge the device on a regular basis. The software Operators can figure out why problems are occurring.”

To find out more on this click onto the link in the second paragraph. Give us your thoughts on this?