According to Google’s Eric Schmidt, there is nothing the search giant could have done to stop Carrier IQ because of the open nature of the Android operating system. Schmidt condemned Carrier IQ at the Google hosted conference on internet freedom held in the Hague reports the Telegraph. According to Schmidt when a platform is open people can make software that is bad for the users.

Schmidt was very specific in saying that Google does not work with or support Carrier IQ. Carrier IQ has been in the news ever since a security researcher posted video showing the extent of the tracking the software carries out. The use of Carrier IQ software has landed the company, Samsung, and HTC in the center of class action suits. One US Senator is also calling for answers to questions about what the software tracks by December 14.

Carrier IQ says that its software is currently installed on 140 million mobile phones around the world. The company denies that it tracks anything personal and is only helping make networks better. Many users and consumer advocate groups feel that no matter what the software tracks the permissions it gets from users is inadequate. Most users had no idea the software was on their mobiles.

[via SlashGear]