Google bans 'love spying' application
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A mobile phone application which helps jealous lovers keep tabs on their partners by secretly forwarding their texts has been removed from sale by Google after the company decided it violated its terms.
Once installed on the unwitting victim's phone, the Android phone app, called SMS Secret Replicator, automatically creates blind carbon copies of incoming text messages and forwards them to a selected number – prompting fears it could be used by partners and even work colleagues to snoop on private messages.
Jealous lovers are encouraged to secretly set up a password-protected app on their partners' phones and set it to forward text messages to their own. "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," said the developer, DLP Mobile. Its chief executive, Zak Tanjeloff, said the app was "certainly controversial but can be helpful to people in relationships where this type of monitoring can be useful".
The app's creators have given it the slogan "nothing is secret". Google confirmed it had suspended the app.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments