Google wields ban hammer, ousts SMS spying app from Android Market

By on Oct 29, 2010 at 3:44 PM
Software October 29, 2010

It’s not every day Google dusts off the trusty old ban hammer and squashes an Android app. After all, the Android Market is an open one, where any developer can bring any app to the masses — almost. Mobile developer DLP Mobile launched an app earlier this week that performed a pretty questionable function; it allowed users to spy on SMS messages by having them automatically and secretly forwarded from a host phone to their own cell phone. The app, dubbed Secret SMS Replicator, was added to the Android Market Wednesday and it almost immediately caused a stir. Before long, Google exercised its ultimate authority and removed Secret SMS Replicator from the Market, saying the app “violates the Android Market Content Policy.” While the removal of this malicious app is seen as a positive move by most, some question whether or not Google’s actions push the Internet giant further away from the “open” descriptor it loves to boast. Most would likely agree, however, that leaving spyware in the Android Market would certainly have been the greater of two evils.

[Via Switched]

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  • http://www.unabletoconnect.com Mr. Drummin

    Um, first of all, what kinda sick whacko makes such an app? If you are too uncomfortable with trusting others, don’t get in a relationship…if you are just a digital peeping tom, then we should all take you out into the street and beat you mercilessly. Furthermore, if the app creators had any decency or morality, they would atleast fix the app to create a name, date, and time stamp of the person spying and send that info to the person being spied on. Then maybe, just maybe, instead of 10 thumbs down, id give it 9 thumbs down. Good day, sir!!!! I said good day!!!!!!

  • Google

    Googles not open. :(

  • Trent

    SMS Replicator is still on the market and it doesn’t forward someone elses. It forwards yours to other numbers.

  • shanklin

    Well If the users had the ability to remove an app like such said malicious one in this article, I’m sure that we would have removed it. And that would be the open source way of doing things.I don’t think that this takes google back at all. Something needed to be done and since we can’t get these problems out ourselves they did, and most users would agree with that imo. I say give the community the power we deserve and you will never see anything like this happen again.

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