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Google Bans Tethering App From Android Market

Posted by samzenpus on from the not-for-you dept.

narramissic writes "Maybe Android and the Android Market aren't so open after all. A developer who contributed to the WiFi Tether for Root Users app reports that Google has banned the application from the Android Market. The developer writes in his blog that Google cited a section of the developer agreement that says that Google may remove applications if they violate the device maker's or the operator's terms of service. T-Mobile, the only operator to offer an Android phone, expressly forbids tethering phones to a computer. This incident raises some interesting questions, the developer notes in his blog. 'Does this mean that apps in the Market have to adhere to the ToS for only T-Mobile, even when other carriers sign on? Will all apps have to adhere to the ToS for every carrier that supports Android phones?'"

10 of 361 comments (clear)

  1. What did you expect? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    In the United States the carriers would rape your mother and charge you for it if it were legal. I can only hope that there is a special place in Hell for these scumbags, maybe somewhere near the FOX executives.

    1. Re:What did you expect? by KingAlanI · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ninth Circle Of Hell: For those who commit treason, exploit a monopoly, or cancel _Firefly_

      --
      I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
    2. Re:What did you expect? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I think there now Torgo's Executive Powder

  2. Re:No crazy restriction for Windows Mobile Apps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    You and your user certainly couldn't be more satisfied.

  3. Re:Tether Different (tm) by PenguSven · · Score: 5, Funny

    The real problem see, is that the wombats all dig up the fibre that gets laid in the ground, and the koalas are constantly climbing mobile ("cell" for you yanks) phone towers and humping the berjesus out of the exposed equipment. Course thats nothing when you compare it to what the dingos do...

    --
    What is...?
  4. Re:T-Mobile's tech support didn't get the memo. by Krizdo4 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oookay, if T-Mobile bans tethering their phones, why have they helped me and my mom seperately to configure their phones to tether over bluetooth to our laptops? Hell, I'm running Linux, that didn't even phase them, they still helped me find the command-strings I needed!

    Tech support that helped with Linux settings? Wow, that's actually kind of cool.

  5. Re:If only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Proposed company name: "Dumb Pipe Dreams"

  6. Re:Real? by cr_nucleus · · Score: 3, Funny

    Man, the summary should definitely be updated.

    Come on editors, do your job !

  7. Re:Tether Different (tm) by Zebedeu · · Score: 4, Funny

    Course thats nothing when you compare it to what the dingos do...

    They eat your babies?

  8. Re:If only by n1ckml007 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nobody, I repeat nobody understands what bandwidth is. Not Joe. Not you. Not me.

    Mike, if that's you're real name? I *think* you may be wrong that nobody on /. knows what bandwidth is...