The FBI has denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for materials about Carrier IQ, a company that has been in the spotlight recently after a security expert revealed that its software is installed on millions of smartphones. The FOIA request was sent by MuckRock and specifically asked for “manuals, documents or other written guidance used to access or analyze data gathered by programs developed or deployed by Carrier IQ.” FBI section chief David Hardy responded to MuckRock’s request with the following statement:

I have determined that the records responsive to your request are law enforcement records; that there is a pending prospective law enforcement proceeding relevant to these records; and that release of the information contained in these responsive records could reasonably be expected to interfere with the enforcement proceedings.

It is unknown if the FBI is currently working hand-in-hand with Carrier IQ or if Carrier IQ is the subject of an FBI investigation. MuckRock said that it plans to appeal the FBI’s FOIA denial.

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