Android users sue over software they say spies on them

Two users of Android mobile phones yesterday filed class-action lawsuits against the manufacturer of their phones and a software company that boasts it can track what Android users are doing even when their phones are in airplane mode.

In separate lawsuits filed in US District Court in Boston, Joshua Libby of Woburn and Dylan Ferreira of Fall River charge Carrier IQ's software, which is installed on Android phones made by HTC, violates their privacy and is illegal under a federal wiretapping statute.

Ferreira also alleges the software has resulted in at least a $5,000 economic loss for one person and smaller amounts for other users of HTC phones:

By engaging in the foregoing acts and omissions, Defendants caused economic damage to its users including but not limited to loss caused by decreased wireless phone battery life and increased cost for wireless data and wireless air time phone call usage.

Responding to growing publicity over what its software is or isn't doing, Carrier IQ last week denied its software is actually monitoring anything other than data used to diagnose wireless network problems.

Both lawsuits demand an end to whatever it is the software is doing and, of course, millions of dollars in damages.