T-Mobile Upsets Customers With Notification Bar Ads

While you could argue that Android is inundated with adverts in free games, apps, and search results, one area of the OS that has been off limits for the most part is the notification bar. KDDI infuriated Japanese users of Android handsets with push advertisement notifications from the Au One Market. The nightmare has apparently made its way to the U.S, with some T-Mobile users being struck with a similar fate.TmoNews discovered that some customers have taken to T-Mobile's website and forums to protest the notifications they're receiving for the VIP Zone. The adverts started appearing after users updated the T-Mobile My Account app, previously being confined to the app itself, but have now sprawled out to the notification center.

Users can't opt-out of the notifications, and they can't uninstall the My Account app either on certain stock phones. Frankly, we agree with the sentiment: the notification area is for important events like missed calls and text messages, not a space for yet more commercials and advertisements.

There's also the battery concerns that go along with the notifications. Not only are you seeing something you don't want to, it could potentially sap your smartphone's battery, causing a handset that could once get through a day to start struggling.

[via Android Community]