It is now legal to “jailbreak” (unlock) a phone, including an iPhone, so you can download apps that aren’t approved by Apple, said the AP.
Phone users can also unlock their devices to switch to a different service provider, so in the case of the iPhone, users might switch from AT&T to T-Mobile.
Under new U.S. Library of Congress rules, a 1998 law has been relaxed, now legalizing the practice of unlocking phones. However, if you do jailbreak your iPhone, Apple can still void the warranty or it can disable the phone through software upgrades.
Apple maintains a tight control over apps that appear in iTunes. One reason, said AppleInsider, is to avoid pornographic apps according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. In April, he said, “That’s a place we don’t want to go, so we’re not going to.”
Source: The AP via Yahoo! and AppleInsider
Photo via iphonefreakz: Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone 4
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