ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Carrier IQ

Hello there! Do you know how mommy and daddy have phones that they use to call and text their friends and family? Well, these phones have something called Carrier IQ, which is kind of like a spy that watches everything they do on their phones.

Now, you may be thinking "isn't spying bad?" and you're right! In fact, a lot of people were very upset when they found out about Carrier IQ because they felt like their privacy was being invaded.

But, let's get back to what Carrier IQ does. It keeps track of things like what apps mommy and daddy use on their phones, what websites they visit, and how they use their phone's keyboard. This helps phone companies know if there are any problems with their phones or if they need to make improvements.

Some people don't like the idea of Carrier IQ because they feel like it's gathering too much information about them. And, even though phone companies say they only use the information they collect for improving their products, some people worry that the information could be used in a bad way.

So, that's Carrier IQ in a nutshell! It's something that watches what people do on their phones and collects information to help phone companies make their products better, but some people don't like it because they feel like their privacy is being invaded.