# Verizon Remote Diagnostic Tool



## charlie_c (Aug 18, 2011)

I keep seeing a lot of misinformation and unjustified paranoia over this Verizon Remote Diagnostic Tool, so I just want to point out a few bits of information provided by VZW:


Customers...who call customer service are not required to use the tool.
The tool will not run unless a customer gives explicit permission during a call with customer support. A customer will need to select "Accept" in order for the tool to run. Customers are free to select "Reject" and the tool will not run.
Customers will also be given a 4-digit PIN by customer support and that PIN must be entered in the device by the customer in order for this to work.
The tool never pulls contacts, account numbers, passwords and the like. And, it's important to remember, it will run only when a customer calls customer support and gives permission to use the Verizon Remote Diagnostics tool.
It is a piece of the new software and cannot be removed, but it does not run in the background. It only runs when a customer calls support and gives permission to use it.
*So, it's not required, can only be used with your permission, can only be used if you enable it, and it does not run in the background.*

Unless shown otherwise, I have no reason to disbelieve any of this information provided by VZW. If you still assume VZW is willing to risk lying to their customer base so that they can infringe on your privacy (especially right after this debacle), you've got trust issues and probably need to see a therapist.


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## JihadSquad (Nov 2, 2011)

Well i am still uninstalling it because i don't want it to run on my rooted phone...


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## charlie_c (Aug 18, 2011)

JihadSquad said:


> Well i am still uninstalling it because i don't want it to run on my rooted phone...


Honestly I don't really care what decisions people make, but the decisions should hopefully be informed and made on facts instead of paranoia and unfounded statements. There's no benefit to having false information spread.


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## shrike1978 (Sep 2, 2011)

I've said for a long time that people worry about the wrong things. I see it every day. People are very bad at risk assessment and it shows. I work in identity management. I have access to loads of PII on a daily basis. I don't mentally even perceive it as anything other than data. People who have legitimate access to something and tell you how they use it aren't the problem, but people worry about these things more than doing the things that give the real bad guys easy access to everything they need.

This diagnostic tool is the same idea. Verizon is telling you it's there and how it's used. They could have easily put it and much more there without saying a word, and you'd never know the difference. What they're showing you should be the very last thing you worry about.


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## charlie_c (Aug 18, 2011)

shrike1978 said:


> What they're showing you should be the very last thing you worry about.


Exactly. Everyone that roots their device opens up a whole world of exploits and data theft from malicious apps, and Android is not that great at preventing malicious apps from being spread via the Play Store or whatever it's called now. Despite that, there seems to be more privacy concerns over what is essentially a transparent and voluntary-to-use customer service tool. Go figure.


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