Carrier IQ

Throughout its history, Carrier IQ achieved several milestones, including securing $20 million in Series C financing in 2009 and later $12 million in a Series D round in 2010. By late 2010, its software was deployed on over 100 million devices, and by mid-2011, it was processing over a petabyte of analytics data monthly. The company's trajectory was significantly altered in late 2011 when security researcher Trevor Eckhart revealed that the software had the capability to log sensitive user data, including keystrokes and text message content, sparking a major privacy controversy. While Carrier IQ maintained that it acted as an agent for its clients and that data collection parameters were set by the carriers themselves, the backlash was substantial. The scandal led to public outcry, lawsuits, and ultimately, the removal of the software from many devices. Following a few quiet years, Carrier IQ effectively ceased operations in late 2015 when AT&T, a long-time customer, acquired its software assets and hired some of its employees.