Issue: Smartphone tracking software
Result: $9 million settlement

Lieff Cabraser represented plaintiffs in class action litigation alleging that Carrier IQ, Inc., and other smartphone manufacturers violated privacy laws by installing Carrier IQ’s user tracking software, called IQ Agent, on the plaintiffs’ smartphones.

IQ Agent was installed on many Android smartphones and on an estimated 140 million mobile devices worldwide. The software tracked users’ keystrokes, passwords, apps, text messages, photos, videos, and other personal information.

Without notifying users or obtaining consent, IQ Agent recorded and transmitted this data to cellular carriers. The data was then analyzed and segmented, including by equipment and subscriber identification numbers. IQ Agent could not be removed and could not be detected by users lacking advanced computing skills.

In 2016, the Court granted final approval of a $9 million settlement plus injunctive relief provisions.