UPDATE: Apple Axes iTether

In a move that should suprise no one, iTether, an app that allowed people to tether their phones to their computers without purchasing a carrier tethering plan, has been pulled from the Apple App Stor...
UPDATE: Apple Axes iTether
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  • In a move that should suprise no one, iTether, an app that allowed people to tether their phones to their computers without purchasing a carrier tethering plan, has been pulled from the Apple App Store. The app became available early this morning and caused quite a stir across Twitter and the blogosphere. The universal reaction was surprise at the app’s approval, and the expectation that it would be removed at any moment. That moment appears to have come, as the app can no longer be found in the App Store.

    Reactions to the app’s removal on Twitter were consistent with previous expectations: no one was surprised.

    ITether has now been pulled from the app store – didn’t think it would last that long 4 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    What is perhaps most interesting is the reaction of the app’s publisher, Tether, who have been manning their Twitter feed all morning fielding questions about the app. They defend their lack of any formal arrangements with the carriers:

    @taylor9209 We do not have any legal arrangements with the carriers. In fact, we help carriers upsell more data. 6 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    They also claim that they followed the App Store’s strict guidelines closely, and point out that they made no secret of what iTether did:

    @bradycreel Apple has pretty strict guidelines which we followed. In addition, we were very clear to what our app did when launching. 9 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    What do you think? Was Apple right to pull iTether? Was Tether right to even submit it in the first place, knowing it would be pulled? Let us know in the comments.

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