Apple removes Carrier IQ from iOS 5

Apple has confirmed reports that its previous generation iOS platforms support the Carrier IQ data tracking software, but the company assures that the software has been removed in most of its iOS 5 devices, such as the iPhone 4S, and that future updates are set to remove the software completely. Slashgear.com reported.

The company follows a number of handset manufacturers and carriers that have issued statements in the past week to distance themselves from Carrier IQ.

The controversy was tipped off in late November, when an Android user began warning other users about a little known software he discovered pre-installed on handsets that could track user data. The data-collection company behind the software, Carrier IQ, then threatened legal action but has since retracted its cease-and-desist.