7 ms·

It's just spyware. It should be forbidden. If you think you need something like this in your relationship, your partner deserves something better than you. If

It's just spyware. It should be forbidden. If you think you need something like this in your relationship, your partner deserves something better than you. If you think your partner betrays you, talk to him/her.

kenjackson 16y ago
Not just your life partner, but people could use it with their manager, business partner, person you're interested in dating/stalking. Given that text messaging is the dominant means of communication for many people, it really becomes crucial that you don't let your phone out of your sight.
- J3L2404 16y ago
  I assume it is intended to be used to spy on your children.
pavel_lishin 16y ago
Who decides whether it should be forbidden or not? What if I'm traveling to a high crime area? I might want to install this on my phone, to make recovery simpler in case someone steals it and starts messaging their friend bragging about their great new phone, and to meet them at Taco Bell in five minutes so they can show it off :)
- martey 16y ago
  Google does. It seems pretty clear that it violates the Android Market Program policies, specifically the sections on impersonation, private information, and illegal activities: http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/mobile/android/market-policies.html http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/mobile/android/market-polic... I would expect Google to remove the app from the Market and any Android phones it was installed on. While your use of the program would be fine, the promotional video linked in the New York Times article makes it clear that the intended use is to spy on your significant other's cellphone. There are much easier ways to recover stolen phones than to install a program on it that will forward text messages to your non-stolen second phone, but good luck with that.
  - kenjackson 16y ago
    Actually does it break any of the rules listed? It's very upfront about what its doing. It is sending your text messages to another phone number. The issue isn't the app per se, but the fact that the person installing the application is not the owner. For example, an app that allowed me to browse my SMS messages wouldn't be blocked, but clearly if someone stole my phone, they could then browse my SMS messages. The app isn't deceptive to the person installing it. And can Google remove the app if it wasn't installed from the app store? I can sideload it can't I?

kenjackson 16y ago

Not just your life partner, but people could use it with their manager, business partner, person you're interested in dating/stalking. Given that text messaging is the dominant means of communication for many people, it really becomes crucial that you don't let your phone out of your sight.

J3L2404 16y ago
I assume it is intended to be used to spy on your children.

pavel_lishin 16y ago

Who decides whether it should be forbidden or not? What if I'm traveling to a high crime area? I might want to install this on my phone, to make recovery simpler in case someone steals it and starts messaging their friend bragging about their great new phone, and to meet them at Taco Bell in five minutes so they can show it off :)

martey 16y ago
Google does. It seems pretty clear that it violates the Android Market Program policies, specifically the sections on impersonation, private information, and illegal activities: http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/mobile/android/market-policies.html http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/mobile/android/market-polic... I would expect Google to remove the app from the Market and any Android phones it was installed on. While your use of the program would be fine, the promotional video linked in the New York Times article makes it clear that the intended use is to spy on your significant other's cellphone. There are much easier ways to recover stolen phones than to install a program on it that will forward text messages to your non-stolen second phone, but good luck with that.
- kenjackson 16y ago
  Actually does it break any of the rules listed? It's very upfront about what its doing. It is sending your text messages to another phone number. The issue isn't the app per se, but the fact that the person installing the application is not the owner. For example, an app that allowed me to browse my SMS messages wouldn't be blocked, but clearly if someone stole my phone, they could then browse my SMS messages. The app isn't deceptive to the person installing it. And can Google remove the app if it wasn't installed from the app store? I can sideload it can't I?