NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO - Alphabet Inc's Google has shut down a service it provided to wireless carriers globally that showed them weak spots in their network coverage, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, because of Google's concerns that sharing data from users of its Android phone system might attract the scrutiny of users and regulators.
The service was provided free to carriers and vendors that helped them manage operations. The data came from devices running Google's Android operating system, which is on about 75% of the world's smartphones, making it a valuable resource for the industry. Google spokeswoman Victoria Keough confirmed the move but declined to elaborate, saying only that changing"product priorities" were behind it. Google's notice to carriers when it shut down the service did not specify a reason, two of the four people told Reuters.
In April, Google shut down its Video Checkup service from its YouTube operation, which it launched in mid-2017 to let customers in Malaysia compare their provider's streaming capability in a specific spot with other carriers. YouTube spokeswoman Mariana De Felice cited"relatively low user engagement" with Video Checkup for its retirement, which has not been previously reported.
It was an"independent reference from the horse's mouth, so you couldn't get any better than this," said Mushil Mustafa, a former employee at Dubai-based carrier du."But the carriers have investment in other tools, obviously."
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