In a letter addresed to the FTC, AT&T put all rumors to rest when it bluntly denied having anything to do with the removal of Google Voice apps from the iTunes App Store.
Jim Cicconi, AT&T’s senior executive vice president for legislative affairs, wrote:
AT&T was not asked about the matter by Apple at any time, nor did it offer any view one way or the other. More broadly, AT&T does not own, operate or control the Apple App Store and is not typically consulted regarding the approval or rejection of applications for the App Store or informed when an application is approved or rejected.
And Apple also commented for the first time on the matter, writing that Google Voice apps were removed because they “alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail.”
So there you have it – the removal of Google Voice rests solely on Apple’s shoulders.
via WSJ
Fri, Aug 21, 2009
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