I bought an AT&T phone & got the unlock code from AT&T. I am using another carrier-but phone still looks for USB tethering authentication.

The agent was wrong the software on the phone is still ATT software.

Unlocked means it can use data make calls and send texts that is all.  Tethering is not part of that.

Wrong? Is that what you call it?  The agent was not just wrong, SHE WAS LYING.  I've had several other phones that had no tethering restrictions.  Why can't AT&T remove the authentication?  AT&T has a terrible business model.  I was with them for decades, paying thru the nose for land lines and cell phones.  I despise them now, because of their price gouging and dirty tricks like this.   Businesses should look at themselves and figure out why their present and former customers hate them.  AT&T only serves their shareholders.  AT&T spent $3 BILLION in 2008 on their MORE BARS IN MORE PLACES campaign. That claim was PROJECTED, it was not FACT at the time.  I have operated my own business for 40+ years, never have advertised.  I always observe the Golden Rule.

Why do you assume the agent actually knew the answer and purposely gave you false information? No, they weren’t lying, they were just clueless. Those chat agents are not phone experts. As noted above, your phone still has ATT software on it. It’s that software that restricts hotspot/tethering to ATT.

I am trying to figure out why you are using a phone that is that old anyway.  LG left the phone business last year.  Its running a insecure version of android.

And just a FYI most companies these days source those chat agents out to the Philippines.   So over there they do not have companies like ATT and Verizon that software block features.

Old phone? What? Are you a phone snob sheeple?  And just an FYI, a person can carry any phone they want to.  My criteria for a phone is a removable battery and a card slot.  I don't trust anything associated with Big Tech.  I've NEVER had any banking apps on my phones.  I've been (Edited per community guidelines) and installing custom ROMs for years.  March 7 2010: The very first Android phone AT&T released was the Moto Backflip.  It was my first Android.  I got one, rooted it and installed Cyanogenmod.    

So you are saying, it's OK since the Philippines (HIRED BY AT&T) don't know their facts (and can barely speak intelligible), they can just make up anything and put it in a chat message?  If the GIANT AT&T tech company can afford to pay $49 BILLION dollars for DirecTV, they can hire Americans to man the phones. 

AND how did you get your "Achiever Award"?  ... More like "Most Condescending"....

Blah blah blah I can root a phone.  Your not even a Att customer anymore so what's the point.  If you know how to root a phone you can remove the block with adb commands.

Removeable batteries and sd slots are dead just a FYI.

Also Att sold dtv plus all other tv stuff.

The agent didn't know the answer, yet told me something as if it were the truth. That is lying!

You don’t seem to understand what a lie is. If the agent believed the answer they gave you was true, that’s not a lie. A lie is when you purposely give information you know is false. I’m not saying they didn’t lie, maybe they did but you don’t know that for sure. Believe it or not, lying to a customer is a fireable offense. Do you really think the agent would risk their job on something like that? If you really want to believe they lied, go right ahead. I’d hate to be that cynical. 

The chat agent ("in the Philippines") apparently will say anything to get great feedback, rating, whatever...   So basically, you are saying that the AT&T customer (chat) service is pointless and worthless because of "those chat agents (in) the Philippines". 

And it sounds like AT&T is saying the same thing about this forum.  Why else would AT&T mandate this disclaimer at the end of each of your posts?:

"*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party."

Because we are not Att employees.  Even employees on here have it if they are not forum reps