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Spy App Forwards Cheating Partner's Texts, Gets Banned From Android Store

by Amar Toor on October 28, 2010 at 10:45 AM

sms replicatorLooking to conduct surveillance on that philandering boyfriend of yours? Well, for about 18 hours yesterday, you could've downloaded something called 'Secret SMS Replicator' -- a new app that, once planted on someone else's Android smartphone, will secretly forward their text messages to another phone.

Created by DLP Mobile, 'Replicator' hit the Android market Wednesday, much to the horror of just about everyone. "This app is certainly controversial, but can be helpful to people in relationships where this type of monitoring can be useful," Zak Tanjeloff, chief executive of DLP, told the New York Times. The best part about 'Replicator,' according to DLP, is its totally terrifying secrecy. "The app is unique because there is no visible icon or shortcut to access it, so once it's installed, it will continue to monitor without revealing itself," the company says. Great! Oh, and as for those who may be worried about a random stranger planting 'Replicator' on their Android, Tanjeloff recommends "keeping your phone close by, or make sure people trust you."

The developers reportedly marketed the app to Android instead of the iPhone, because they didn't think it would pass Apple's App Store approval process. On Wednesday evening, however, a Google spokesman confirmed to the Times that the app has indeed been suspended from the Android Market because it "violates the Android Market Content Policy." And how!

Tags: android, AndroidApp, androidmarket, apps, cellphone, cheating, DlpMobile, google, privacy, SecretSmsReplicator, smartphone, Texting, top

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